Reservations for Sanity
by Makoto Sagara
Summary: On Hold! UPDATED Chapter 7!. When a mysterious faction shows up to help Treize keep his head through the war, will he and the Gundam Pilots be able to call a truce to stay alive?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Reservations For Sanity  
Authors: Skeren Dreamera, Makoto Sagara, and Bagelbunion

Category: AU, Shounen ai, Het, Action/Adventure

Pairings: 41, 353, 26, R11, OCxOC, very subject to change

Rating: R

Spoilers: Yes, Romefeller in this chapter

Warnings: shounen ai, shoujo ai, het, language, violence, OOC, AU timeline from Antarctica on, angst, crazy muses and authors, too little sleep?

Disclaimers: All we own are our original characters and the story line. Everything else belongs to this hideously long list of companies with lots of lawyers who could get our pennies. So, seeing as how that's been said, please don't sue. Mako needs to save her money to move to Texas!! We sure as hell don't get any money off of this…Just have fun.

Notes: Well, we've never done this sort of thing before, but Bagel and Makoto couldn't run fast enough from Skeren and her ideas. So, we found ourselves sucked into her world. So now I, Makoto Sagara, ask, what is sanity? And Bagelbunion was only too happy to supply the answer. Bagel: What is Sanity? I'll tell you what sanity is? It's taking 5 gallons of LSD and watching three elephants fuck in a bowl of pudding while it's snowing in July. Anything else is just an illusion. I suppose that means everything else is up for debate? ;;;;;;

Part one

Skeren wasn't exactly on par with the normal Ozzies on the base. She had her own agenda, and it consisted in making them 'see the light', as she would have phrased it. For the moment though, she was delivering a hand written letter to Zechs on a demand from Dorothy. Somehow, Relena had gotten information about Zechs being family and she wrote him a letter. Why Skeren had to be it, the current courier didn't know. She had only asked what the new changes in policy were since they protested her black tee, Blue hair, and white with neon blue skater pants on the base...

Zechs looked up as the person, he wasn't sure if they were male or female, approached him, and he frowned. "Can I do something for you?"

Skeren frowned at him immediately in return on defense over the expression on his face, while her hand on her hip clearly defined her feminine build. Damn hourglass figure. "I have a letter from you from Miss Darlian-Peacecraft herself."

His frown turned into a full-blown scowl, hiding his mild confusion. "How did you get in here dressed like that? Leave the letter and go." It was an order he said simply while shuffling through the reports in his hands and scowling even more deeply.

Skeren peered down at her outlandish clothing then looked back at him, less than intimidated. She didn't think he could be as bad as the rumors said. "I walked." She moved closer, extending the letter just beyond his reach.

He glanced back up at the girl, because that's what her figure deigned her to be, and slitted his eyes at her. "Where is your escort?" He stood and snatched the letter from her, sitting back down.

"I was supposed to have an escort?" This was news to her. Then again, she never mentioned the letter after she got yelled at. She was with Oz, but not military.

Sighing, Zechs reached one slender finger to the phone, hit the speaker-phone mode, and dialed the number to Lady Une. "Une, we need to talk about procedures once more. I have a... person... here in my office with no escort, and no one announced her either."

Une sighed. "It's not that blue haired girl again is it?"

Zechs looked up at the girl and noticed that she did indeed have blue hair. "Yes, do you know her?"

"I must have reprimanded her no less than six times this week alone for her...style."

"What do you mean again? And I'm a woman, not a girl. I'm eighteen, you know!" Skeren waved her fist at the comm in annoyance. The she seemed to catch the rest of what Une said. "There is nothing wrong with how I'm dressed!"

"Being eighteen does not automatically make you a woman, might I remind you. It's not appropriate attire for a OZ representative." Une's voice managed to be condescending through the comm.

"You are out of uniform. Your attitude towards superiors is lacking. I think I will have to talk to General Khushrenada about your... situation," Zechs said, leveling the girl with the coldest glare he could muster. "Lady Une, I am sending her to you, now." He finished his sentence with a pointed glare at the subordinate and returned to his reports. "You may leave."

"It is appropriate if I am appealing to the younger people who might see OZ as having too rigid of standards and thus go to the other factions!" Skeren flipped a glare from the comm and back to Zechs. "I am a civilian representative of OZ thank you very much!"

"Excuse you, but is this how you conduct 'representative duties', young lady? Leave my office." Zechs pointedly looked at the door.

"Take that tone one more time with your superiors and you will not be a civilian representative for much longer." Lady Une's voice was very cold. "See me in my office. NOW" And with that, Lady Une shut off the comm-link.

"No, this is how I conduct an argument, sir." She put a drawl into the word, making it almost mockingly respectful.

Zechs turned off his comm, and looked at the girl, refusing to give into the rise of anger. "There is no argument, Miss. You will see Lady Une now, and I will return to my reports, or I will have you escorted out."

"Again? Honestly, you people have no sense of humor, I swear." With that, she spun around and left the office, still grumbling. "I got convinced it would be worth seeing the hot guy behind the desk, but now I'm not so sure..." Then, the door closed behind her.

Zechs blinked. "Hot guy? Really." He scoffed and finally returned to his reports, only to suddenly pick up the phone and dial another number.

"Yes?" Treize drawled into his phone at his lieutenant.

"We are having issues with the civilian representatives again," Zechs said.

"Again? I suspect Une will have something to say. I will call you in half an hour."

"Yes sir," Zechs replied quickly before hanging up.

Skeren finally moseyed her way in to Une's office. She was a rich man's daughter, so, unfortunately, threaten as they may, they couldn't get rid of her.

"Shut the door and sit down." Une pointed to chair on the opposite side of her desk. She was already standing and did not look happy.

"Hiya!" Skeren seemed unphased as she moved to the chair, settling into it with a bright smile. "So, do they put you guys in those uniforms to show off all you guys have? It works, you know."

Une scowled. "Dalren, I'll ignore that little comment, but your appearance is unfitting for someone of your position. When you are on this base, I expect you to act and dress as if you were an OZ solider and practice a little discretion."

Skeren make a face like she'd smelled something nasty. "If I wanted to be in the military, I would be in the military! I thought that was rather obvious." Skeren stared at her, two-toned eyes wide and pitiful as she peered at the woman towering over her, trying not to let her gaze wander.

"One more infraction, and I will demote you. I don't care how you dress or act when you are off base, but we have certain standards to follow here at OZ. It makes us and you look bad when you do not follow those standards." Une crossed her arms over chest and set a firm glare down at Skeren. "If I let you get away with it, I have to let others get away with it, and that's not good for group harmony or troop morale. Do I make myself clear?"

Skeren wisely didn't mention what Une could do with her rules and combed her closet mentally. They wanted her to behave appropriately, did they? They didn't know what they'd just asked for. "Of course, Madame Une. I will immediately go and change into something you might deem more respectable." He voice was light and actually sounded respectful. It was almost disturbing, but only if you knew her; she hadn't been here long enough for that.

"Good. You are dismissed." Une made a motion with her hand towards the door.

Skeren got to her feet, only allowing her evil smirk to cross her face once she had her back turned. They really didn't know her very well here yet. They would learn what it was to restrict what she wished to do.

Une punched in the code for Treize's comm and sat down at her desk, waiting for it to connect, drumming her fingers lightly on her desk.

Treize picked up the line as it rang. "Good afternoon, Lady Une. I suspect I know what this call is about, but why don't you tell me anyway," he drawled smoothly into the phone, steeling himself for his Lady's reaction to the girl.

Une certainly looked frustrated. "I reprimanded Dalren again. She is not getting it. If she has one more demerit, we have legal recourse to find someone else for her position."

"And who would you suggest? Her father is a rather powerful man, my Lady. What has she done this time? Her dress? Her attitude?"

"Both. I don't care who her father is." Lady Une slammed her palm on her desk. "If he's so God be damned powerful, he can get another job. I will not have her trash our organization simply because she can't follow a few simple rules."

"Elegance, my lady," he gently reprimanded. "I will talk to the girl's father, again, but I cannot guarantee anything. In the meantime, I suggest you write up a report of her behavior that I could send to him. And remember, you are my lady, so you should behave like it."

Lady Une rolled her eyes a little, and then took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll do that, but next time she acts up, I'm sending her to you." And with that, Une closed the link. She had other things to do.

Treize sighed, running one hand through his hair, and started to dial a number. He was determined to have this put to an end. As a second thought, he called Zechs. "Zechs, watch your room this evening. Dalren's on the warpath."

"Sir?" Zechs asked, confusion setting into the line of his mouth.

"The girl who was in you office. Watch out."

"Yes, sir."

Skeren, meanwhile, had taken to a few... modifications of wardrobes once she'd changed, causing Treize's request to be too late to stop her.

At the end of the day, Zechs returned to his room, worrying over what Treize had said. When he got there, he quickly keyed in his access code and looked inside. Nothing was out of place. He quietly entered and sat down on his bunk.

Skeren spent a couple hours on her... new hobbies, and then decided that a visit to Treize was in order. The poor man wouldn't even recognize her. She was wearing an elegant black dress with gothic sleeves; her hair tied back in a black ribbon, and lip-gloss on her lips. She then pushed into Treize's office with barely a knock. "Sir Treize! Would you mind taking me to dinner tonight?" She sounded rather sweetly sincere...

Treize looked up from his desk, putting down the wineglass in his hand. "Who are you?" he asked her quietly, amusement showing through his every action.

"Someone who should never be wearing a dress." Skeren quirked her lips, striding forward in front of his desk. "You don't have other plans, right? So, come on, you can take me out for something that wasn't made by this base."

The general had to smile. "Well, Miss Dalren, it is finally nice to meet you in person. I must say, you've made quite an impression on my lieutenants." He thought over her request. "But I believe that something could be arranged about dinner." He motioned to the chairs before his desk. "Have a seat." He then dialed in a number. "Watts, get my car ready."

"Sir, yes sir," the anonymous man said before the general hung up on him.

"So, how may I help you? Besides, dinner."

"They need a little less consistency and a little more movement. They'll get rusty if you just let them order people around. Not everyone listens." Skeren smiled brightly as she settled into her seat. "It's been quiet for a while now, and I am well aware you guys are trying to move around the entire thing, but if you guys get too military, you'll end up shooting yourself in the foot with it. Thus, me."

Treize laughed. "Ah, but Miss Dalren, order is needed. Otherwise, this war will start to resemble a Chinese fire drill. Besides, my subordinates do get action, when they want it." He smiled once more. "But truthfully, what do you want? By the way, you look stunning in that attire."

Skeren leaned forward partially over the desk, a slightly callused hand resting on the desk. "See, let me tell you a little secret. My father? He's rather… Well, how can I put this without it being a shock? He's quite dead. I've made sure this little fact isn't known by going to some serious lengths, computer imaging and the like. So really, it's my money going into all this. I just see that you guys get more military, and the military has never managed to capture my interest. Order just doesn't appeal to me, I suppose. Oh, this dress? One of the few I actually am willing to wear. So thanks."

"So, you are telling me that you are sustaining your father's ventures? For what purpose, might I ask, would you do that? It seems to me you'd be better suited as an artist, or the like. And you're welcome."

"My father was rather brilliant actually, though I will say that he never invested in any of you at all. That was me. I can see this reaching its goal, one that I think I know is hidden under all the talk of war, but not how you are pulling it off. So, I'm here to try and fix it. You see? It is art, in it's own way." Skeren grinned, leaning back in her chair. "So, where are we going to eat?"

Treize's retort was cut off by a knock on the door. "Yes?" he called out, not bothering to rise.

"Your car is ready, sir."

"Thank you, Watts. Miss Dalren, we are going to a place that has never had the pleasure of your company," he said, standing up and extending an arm to the girl. "And as far as my military procedure is concerned, I am willing to listen. To a point."

Skeren nodded, content with that, and moved closer to him to slip her arm casually through his. "Now remember though. It's a secret, so no telling."

"Ah, a lady's secret is not my place to tell. I wouldn't be a gentleman if I did, now would I?" He led the girl out of the office and outside to the car. "May I ask what you've done to both Une and Zechs?"

"The clothes." That was all she was willing to say about the matter at the moment, a grin on her face that would have comfortably suited any of the crazy enemy pilots. It was almost disturbing to see it, before it softened back into the more normal grin.

"Ahh. I see you don't like our uniforms. What do you think of my attire, then?" He looked at the girl closely as he opened the door to let her in the backseat.

She slid into the vehicle gracefully, not bunching the material of her dress or making even a sound. "It's much less annoying. Though, I don't mind how revealing some of the other outfits are on your officers."

Treize blinked as he got in beside her. "Revealing?" An intricate eyebrow was raised as he said that. "That is the first time I've heard that word used." He turned to the driver. "Michael, you know the restaurant."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes. Snug is the word." She smirked a bit, considering what Zechs ought to look like when she visited him the next morning.

Treize made a mental note to check on Zechs when they returned. "Really? Interesting. So, share with me your ideas?"

She wasn't about to take the direct route however. "Did you know that most of your troops are there because they are out for revenge over what the Alliance and Federation did to them and their families, no matter how hard you try to screen out the people in your service for selfish needs? They aren't out to unite anyone like that."

"Yes, I am aware of that problem, but as long as they don't do anything rash, I cannot legally kick them out of my service. It is a messy situation of sorts." He added a derisive snort. "It is not fun being in power, young lady."

"I'm well aware of that. I hold quite a few strings and have for a long time now. If I pluck here, someone falls in and grants a favor, push there, and a scandal is revealed. I'm sure you know how that is. You can turn your troops around to the proper cause if you take the right approach. Propaganda is part of he problem though."

He raised an eyebrow again. "I am aware of that, and that is what I am trying to do. War... It's a tricky business... And people remain people, even with someone trying to help them."

"Ahh, but there is the crux of the matter. What are the people really following? You know many people follow the rebels and support the pilots, I'm sure. Have you ever considered making a backup plan? There are things in the works that might cause you to need one that I can't seem to derail."

"People follow ideas, or people that symbolize that idea. That is what I am trying to be with my position in OZ."

Skeren gave Treize a faint smile. "Make a backup plan." She didn't get any further before her phone rang, and she immediately picked it up, answering it with a universally simple. "Yes?"

"Hello, Skeren, darlin'," Makoto said, a flippant tone in her charming Texan accent, belying her Japanese heritage. "Are you having fun with Khushrenada yet?"

Skeren sat up a little straighter. "I thought I put you on a special ring! Did you change numbers on me again?"

A rich laughter came through. "I'm using Riku's phone, much to his annoyance. What's he like?"

"Courteous. Not getting what I'm explaining though just yet. You always do have the worst timing. You didn't do what you did last time you used his phone, did you?"

"Ah, that type of gent, eh? Well, as far as Riku is concerned, I didn't use the handcuffs again. I just begged until he got annoyed and threw it at me." She laughed again.

"Of course, of course. How you managed to do even that is beyond me. Now, was there another reason for your call, or just to tell me of your triumphs via phone line?"

"Well, there was that, but I was also checkin' in to see how the thing with Khush was goin'. But it looks like we might have to resort to that, don't it?"

"I'd prefer we not until I can get across, otherwise we have no net. You know how risky a trick like that is! It's like trying to use a springboard off a cliff!" Skeren had her back a little turned to Treize by this point and her voice lowered.

"Yes, I know. Ooooh, Riku's glarin' at me. Better make this short. Call me at home when you're done. Gotta go now before he tries to fry me again. Damn man. Love ya, suga'," she said, making a kissing noise before hanging up.

Treize smirked. "Important call, I take it?"

Skeren glared evilly at the phone, then transferred the glare briefly to him before it dissolved into a sigh as she broke the connection fully. "Yes. She shouldn't have used someone else's phone though." She quickly tapped in a few numbers, setting up another special ring before putting it away.

"She? A business associate? Sounds intriguing," he said this in a questioning tone, feigning interest as the car stopped. "Would you care to take this inside to the restaurant, miss?"

"Just Skeren, please. Formalities aren't really my style." Skeren gave him a smile, not moving immediately as she considered whether or not to open her own door, and then decided on the 'for' and climbed out. Of course, he couldn't possibly have heard her mutter: "You don't know the half of it."

"Ah, well, I insist that you call me Treize," He got out of his own door and held his arm out to her once more. "And I do believe I have met others of your ilk, Skeren."

She moved around to take his arm in a light grasp. "I'm an ilk, now am I? And what particular spice am I?"

"I believe you would be what they consider a chili pepper," he retorted. "Much like the others I was speaking about. So much spark and potential. You should meet them, if they don't die."

"Some people are just hard to kill." She moved her free hand up, sweeping her bangs away again before tapping her hidden pockets idly. She had enough of them to make the action look casual.

Treize caught the sudden motions, smiled, and looked ahead as if nothing happened. "Of course they are."

"I think it might be interesting to meet your group of indestructibles. They can't be pushovers if they're like me. I'm too young to die." She laughed a bit at her own joke. She was only perhaps five, maybe six years younger than Treize, at the very most.

Treize chuckled warmly. "Yes, I believe that is how they feel. I must remember to ask them, once they stop trying to kill me."

Skeren just laughed a bit more, shaking their head. "Maybe if you guys went to the same side, then they wouldn't have a reason to kill you."

Treize looked at the young woman as they were shown to a private table. "Perhaps, but I think one in general would find it hard to accept me. I seem to have led the assault on his colony, but I kept it from being destroyed."

Skeren shook her head, squeezing his arm. "Aren't the words 'you never know until you try?'"

"Yes, I believe you and they should meet. Then, this war would be over... Just from your honeyed tongues."

"Maybe, but there are five sides to this war, not two." This was news to Treize, as he had only been aware of four- the Alliance, Federation, Oz, and the Gundam pilots.

"Five?"

Skeren blinked at him in confusion with the question. "Yes."

"Explain?"

She gave him an odd look then ticked them off on her fingers. "The rebels and pilots are one. Oz, Two. Alliance, three. Federation, four. Romefeller, five." She wiggled her fingers at him. She thought he knew about this.

"Ah, yes... I almost forgot about Romefeller. One tends to lose track of these things when they are seen as a part of one of the other sides of the war."

"Of course. That's why you should have a backup plan. Romefeller can't be allowed to sneak up on you, or your life won't do anyone any good. See my logic now?"

"Perfectly. So, what are you suggesting?"

"Maybe you should reevaluate who your enemies really are." They finally reached a table and she settled into a seat across from him.

"I've never thought the rebels and the Gundam pilots were my real enemies," he said, sitting down, looking at the menu and giving their waiter the wine choice. "Just... interesting adversaries."

"Then stop competing, and turn your attention to the serious problem before you lose all control. It's coming, and I haven't the ability to stop them from doing as they wish to you. I can merely hold them back for a while." She glanced over the menu, picking out a steak and pasta. She was no light eater by any means.

Back at the base, things were going a bit less smoothly.

"What in the hell?" Une whispered in shock as she came back to her quarters. There were feminine things strewn all about the place.

Zechs went through his wardrobe after his shower, throwing his wet hair behind his shoulder, and grabbed the first uniform he found, tossing it on the bed. It seemed a bit off, but he ignored it for the time being.

Skeren had been thorough in her work, leaving not even Une's undergarments alone. There was no escaping the frilliness.

Zechs dried off quickly, and tried to put on his clothes.... Only, the pants were far too... confining, and the jacket was little more than a vest. "What in the seven hells happened!?" he yelled it in frustration, trying to get the clothes off. Zechs would, without a doubt, need help to get back out of the clothes.

Une growled loudly then quickly shut and locked her door. She placed an immediate order for more clothes and swept up what she could and hid it under the bed. She'd get rid of it later.

Zechs placed his helmet back on, and tried to call someone to help. The halls were empty. Sighing, he called Une. "Help me!"

Une locked the door to her room and ran down the hall to help Zechs. "What do you...?" She trailed off, taking in his appearance.

Zechs growled, pulled the woman into his room, and shut the door behind him. "Do you see what that girl has done to me?"

"Yes. I see," Une snapped at Zechs. She was getting angrier by the minute now that she had a culprit in mind for her own misfortune.

"Would you help? I can't seem to get this thing off of me? I think I will need scissors for the pants, but I can hardly move," Zechs said, showing that his mobility was indeed hampered by the tight clothing.

Une fetched some scissors and cut Zechs out of the awful pants, too angry to even blush. That girl had gone to far this time.

Zechs sighed as the pants were cut off, but could hardly take the shirt off. "Une. Shirt. Shit, this hurts." Une cut the shirt off as well, grabbing a blanket off of Zechs' bed so he could cover himself. "Thank you, Lady Une," Zechs thanked her, wrapping the blanket around his body. "I'm going to make her wish she'd never step foot on this base." His eyes were narrowed as he issued his threat.

"You have my permission to do so." Lady Une nodded once and shut the door behind her.

Back at the restaurant:

"Serious problem, Romefeller is." He kept his tone light as he considered it, ordering a light pasta with escargot on the side. "They do seem to be a handful."

"They've managed to hamper me. Dorothy is helping, and between the two of us, we're doing what we can." Skeren shook her head, trying not to get too serious before eating.

"Dorothy... My cousin?" He was intrigued by this girl, to say the least, and wished to know what else she had up her sleeves.

"You're related?" She blinked at him, and then flicked her gaze up to his eyebrows. "Well I suppose you can call me a fool for not noticing sooner." She wanted Treize to be an ally, and a good one. Thus why she'd volunteered for this.

"Yes, her mother and my father are siblings. We are... on speaking terms, though I've thought about using her father's father's... That is beside the point. Duke Dermail and I do not agree on certain terms."

Skeren nodded, clearly not surprised by the news, though she frowned a bit as she took an appetizer absently from his plate, having been too distracted to get her own. "That explains a few things. Personal vendetta and all that."

"Vendetta is such a crude word. I prefer to think of it as a personal crusade to get the man out of power." He allowed her to take his food as his sipped his wine carefully, savoring the taste. "Dorothy seems to share that idea, at least, superficially."

"She's brilliant actually. She's the only reason Relena has managed to keep her head above water so long." Skeren smiled to herself, not having been oblivious to the glances of the two girls. Shame they weren't interested in each other; too much like siblings she supposed, a big sister and a little sister.

"Yes, she is rather... bright. Pity she's only 15. I could use her to... Perhaps I should anyway," He trailed off, and a rather cold smile played across his features.

Skeren took in the look, feeling glad that she'd said something that had him listening to her. "I've been in the political field all on my own since I was thirteen. It's amazing what a few years can do."

"True... Perhaps I should have her whisper sweet nothings into Grandpapa's ear, while telling me everything. It should be right up her alley."

"In other words, you want her to tell you as well as me." Skeren sounded rather amused and nibbled at another piece snitched from his plate.

"Oh, so she's supplying you with information now, is she? I shall have to remember that when her birthday comes around." He smiled slightly as he joked, looking up as the waiter brought their food. "Thank you."

Skeren smiled sweetly at the waiter and nodded before arranging her pasta to the back, wanting to eat the steak first. "Well, I've been listening."

"Well, how about we exchange information? I happen to know a bit about my 'enemies' on the battlefield, and in the political stage as well. It seems that you know a bit about the Duke that could be useful."

"The Duke is one of the driving players in Romefeller, someone decidedly against you. He has something, but whatever it is, he's been holding onto very closely, because nobody seems able to get out of him what the secret is. Now, what would you like to start with?"

"How much do you know about mobile suits and their specs?"

"A bit. I'm more a flier than a mechanic at the moment, since it wasn't something I've managed to get into very deeply. Being a female tends to make you look suspicious if you get into that sort of thing." She looked rather annoyed as she said this.

"Well, some of my best pilots are women. Une and Noin are indispensable to me. So, you are familiar with the way that the systems work. Are you familiar with Tsubarov?"

"I'm a woman of money though. It makes all the difference in the world. I know the name. I understand he's been skirting around the political edges the last few weeks."

"Yes, well, the man is an idiot, but he is brilliant with suit design. There are rumors of Mobile Dolls going around, and I'd like to quash them as soon as possible."

"I'd rather hoped I was hearing falsely about that." Skeren was inwardly railing. So that's what those blueprints were for!

Treize smirked. "Well, yes... It seems that one of my allies... is rather close to Tsubarov's inner circle. I can, perhaps, obtain... copies of the blueprints. Would that be satisfactory to your ideas?"

She leaned forward on her elbow. "I caught a glimpse of them. I'd rather hoped I was seeing things. I was escorted off the grounds before I could get a copy to look at. I think that would be grand."

"Indeed. I will talk to my person about it then. But, tell me, how much do you know about Dermail's plans with Romefeller? I'd like to know where the knife is coming from, if you understand."

Skeren bit at her lip a bit. "I know of one thing, and that I am trying to stave off. They are taking Oz away from you."

"It's as I guessed. Who would they replace me with? Tsubarov? The man can hardly find his backside with both hands, a map, a flashlight, and help from two people."

Skeren laughed then, a genuine sound of pure amusement that came out an astoundingly pure feminine giggle. "Well, that is one way of putting it! It will be done though. Unfortunately, it must be their ace in the hole that let's them plan this."

"No, that is the only way of putting it. As I said, he's a mechanical genius, but an idiot when it comes to real issues. And their ace in the hole had better be those god-forsaken mobile dolls, for that's the only way they will win."

Skeren calmed down, shaking her head a little through their mirth. "There are two. One is far better protected than those dolls. I don't think it's to be used on this. It's being held onto by Barton and guarded by Dermail. I never expected you knew how to be crude."

"Crude? Never, but I do believe I know what you're talking about. It involves Colony X/18999 of the L3 cluster." He gave a snide smirk. "They all think I'm some little boy playing war. I'm playing.... Them."

"Of course, all the good politicians have seen what that is that brought them into office, haven't they? I'll never let it be said that my friend Treize is a pansy!"

"Pansy? Hardly... Friend, eh?" He thought that over. "I think this will be an interesting friendship indeed, Skeren."

In a safe house quite a few miles away…

Duo was, simply put, bored. They'd been confined indoors for the last week on context of observation, and he was getting stir crazy. So he was pacing, back and forth, and back and forth. Trowa was sitting back in a chair; his arms resting on his head as his eyes followed Duo across the room, almost like a tennis match. He didn't let it show, but he was rather amused. Wufei looked up from his book, which was rather interesting, and glared at the other down his reading glasses. "Maxwell, would you stop that? You are disrupting my 'down time', as you call it."

Duo halted immediately and trounced on Wufei, plucking the book form him fingers. "I'm going to go crazy in here like this!"

Now you've done it. Trowa thought to himself. This was about to get much more interesting. For him anyway. He wasn't so sure about the braided pilot though.

Wufei growled. "Give that back, Maxwell." He stood up to try to take it with force.

Duo smirked then, holding up the book a little higher, finger marking the page he was on as he pranced back. "What? This?"

Wufei growled again, and then took a calming breath. "Yes. That. Now." Duo backed another step, moving around a chair before spinning on his heel and bolting up the stairs. "MAXWELL!" Wufei gave chase, all semblance of serenity forgotten as he went after the other boy.

Trowa shook his head and got up. He looked around, but Quatre wasn't anyway in the near vicinity. That meant that he'd have to play peacemaker. Again. Duo came back around in a whirlwind, dashing back through the room, having led Wufei into a loop, and determinably seeking out his best friend. Then he'd seek out his other, saner friend, and hide behind him while Heero tried to get out of him what he did before allowing the chase to continue.

Wufei followed the braided menace to where Heero stood, and nearly ran into Trowa. "Where?"

Duo managed to track Quatre and dived behind him, clutching the back of his shirt as he squeaked. "Hide me."

Heero blinked once and eyed Wufei. "What did he do now?"

Quatre blinked as he was used as a hiding spot, and then sighed. "Where's the book, Duo?" Duo passed the book forward and didn't move from his spot.

"Where what?" Trowa responded, a little startled. He thought that Wufei had been chasing Duo the other direction.

Quatre passed the book to Wufei, who seemed to slowly boil down and stomped out of the room. "You know, Duo, you should really stop doing that," the blond said sighing. Trowa gave Duo a look, and then calmly left the room after Wufei.

"I'm just bored, Q. That's all." Duo finally straightened up, giving Quatre a hug before leaving the room in the opposite direction.

Wufei returned to the original chair he'd been in when Maxwell started his whole 'entertaining' trip through the house, and sat down, trying to read his book again. He noticed when Trowa walked in the room.

"You could have helped," Wufei groused, pushing his glasses up his nose and beginning to read again.

"I could've," Trowa agreed and sat down in the same cushy chair, just opposite of Wufei.

"What?" Wufei asked, looking at Trowa fully. "Why didn't you?"

"You seemed perfectly capable of getting it back yourself." Trowa gestured to the book that was now in Wufei's hands. They were back in the living room after all.

"Yes, I have it back. Pity I had to rely on Winner's assistance," the Chinese boy said, standing up and leaving the room.

Quatre turned to Heero and sighed. "If he was that bored, why didn't he just come find me? Must he goad Wufei like that?"

Heero shook his head on a little sigh of his own. "He doesn't want to be a bother when he isn't teasing someone. It's just how he is."

"Well, who said it would have been a bother? It's not like we're actually doing anything, now are we?" Quatre said, staring pointedly at the Wing pilot.

Heero shook his head with a little sigh. "No, we aren't. That's just Duo, though. Talk to him. I can't do that."

Quatre looked at the stoic boy, and breathed deeply. "You have to learn to communicate, Heero. Otherwise, the world is going to be a lonely place." He left to find the braided boy.

Back at the restaurant again.

"Maybe not a good friend yet, but definitely a real start." Skeren tipped her head to the side in consideration. "You'll keep your officers from killing me when we return, won't you?"

"Of course. Well, Une will be easy to persuade to leave you alive. It's Zechs I may have to ... resort to other means of persuasion."

Skeren blinked a few times, and then let out a soft oh sound. She hadn't quite expected that one, despite the rumors. "I see."

"I'm sure that you do. But, I will make sure than you live," he said with a smirk and signaled for the check. "Are you ready to return? I have a few calls to make this evening, and a long day ahead tomorrow."

"Of course. My peanut gallery is sure to call me again soon I regret to say. This was great, though. It's so hard to have a decent conversation when people are staring at your eyes like some of your men have done. They aren't that special, I swear." She shook her head on a faint sigh.

"No, they are an unusual color, but then again, Zechs' eyes aren't that common either. Much like ice than anything else."

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone, a silvery-white haired bishounen had entered the restaurant, left some gifts, and walked out back to his motorcycle, waiting...

"Uncommon eye colors seem to be a mark of the good guys in this one, hmm?" She quirked her lips, shifting a bit in preparation to stand.

"Ah, then I must be on the wrong team," Treize said with a smile, taking his 'lady's' arm and walking her out of the restaurant.

Now. Riku pushed the detonation device, and the ground shook as the restaurant exploded.

Treize looked back at the building he and Skeren had just left. He deftly opened the car door, pushed her inside, and walked over to see if there was anyway to help the other people who'd been inside.

"Fuck..." Riku cursed as he saw the ginger haired man, completely unharmed and standing outside.

"Miss, did ya?" Makoto said, coming up to stand behind the white haired man. "Ya know, you almost blew up Skeren!"

Frowning as Treize dumped her there, Skeren crawled back out of the car, gaze narrowed as she looked around, pulling her cell phone to call Makoto quickly. She barely waited for an answer before making her demand. "Is there a reason I just nearly got blown up?"

The Japanese woman paused mid-rant to answer her phone. "Darlin', you know how hard it is to get Riku to behave. I dun really have a leash for him, yanno?" she said, trying to keep the other from trying to go after the regal looking man.

Skeren looked affronted. "You're nearby, aren't you?! Where, tell me! I am going to beat the shit out of him. You do not blow up potential friends, people!"

Makoto sighed. "I've got the fire starter right here." She handed the phone to Riku with a curse of "Shimatta, kusottare."

The instant the phone changed hands, Skeren started to growl, starting with the basics. "You know, when I finally meet you face to face, I might just be tempted to kill you, you know that?"

Treize couldn't find anyone in the building and called the fire department, watching detachedly as the flames consumed the once beautiful restaurant. His next call was to Zechs. "There's been a change in plans."

"You're welcome to try." Riku spoke coldly, toneless. He hung up the phone before Skeren could get in another word. "Get on." He nodded to Mako and gunned the engine. "The local authorities will be here any minute, and you know how much I hate dealing with them."

"Oh," Zechs said. "How so?"

"It seems that someone tried to blow me up."

"Fun."

"I'm glad you're amused. Find out who." Treize turned off his phone and waited for the authorities.

Makoto sighed, pushing one of her braids behind her ears. "You are inconvenient sometimes, darlin'." She got on behind the man and they sped off.

Skeren glared at the phone then carefully folded up and put it away before throwing what amounted to a temper tantrum. The phrases, "He is so dead," And, "God damn it!" Being the ones most often said.

End part one


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Reservations For Sanity  
**Authors:** Skeren Dreamera, Makoto Sagara, and Bagelbunion  
**Category: **AU, Shounen ai, Het, Action/Adventure  
**Pairings:** 41, 353, 26, R11, OCxOC, very subject to change  
**Rating:** R  
**Contact:** Skeren Dreamera: Mickeofasyahoo.com Makoto Sagara: SagaraMakotoaol.com Bagelbunion: Bagelbunioncox.net

**Spoilers: **Yes, Romefeller in this chapter  
**Warnings:** shounen ai, shoujo ai, het, language, violence, OOC, AU timeline from Antarctica on, angst, crazy muses and authors, too little sleep?

**Disclaimers: **All we own are our original characters and the story line. Everything else belongs to this hideously long list of companies with lots of lawyers who could get our pennies. So, seeing as how that's been said, please don't sue. Mako needs to save her money to move to Texas!! We sure as hell don't get any money off of this…Just have fun.

**Notes: **Here the insanity continues. Enjoy!

**Begin part two **

Treize quickly dialed a few more numbers, starting a sort of conference over the phone lines. "Lady Une, we will deal with subordinates later. I need you to find me all relevant information about someone named... Riku. Noin, I want you to find out all you can from the local authorities about this fire."

"Will do, sir." Noin replied.

"Lady? Are you still there," Treize prodded, worried as the normally prompt Lady had yet to reply to his request.

"Yes, sir, I am here." Lady Une sounded rather flustered.

Skeren returned to the back seat, fists clenched tightly as she tried to calm down, the muttered curses of "Goddess save that brute from me when I meet him face to face," Among other threats still being said.

Treize relaxed a fraction after he got an answer. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, sir, everything is fine. What was it you needed?"

Treize sighed. "I need you to find me as much information you can on a man named Riku." He could feel a headache building while talking to his third in command, the frustration of the whole situation making him want to just go to bed.

"A man named Riku?" Lady Une sounded puzzled, but started a search. "Is that all I have to go on? What does this Riku look like?"

"From what I gathered of an overheard conversation, this explosion is his sort of thing. I believe I also heard something about white hair," Treize glanced in the car, watching the young woman throw a rather unsightly tantrum. He struggled to not laugh at her reaction. He felt like doing something like that himself.

Skeren took her phone back out and glared at it venomously, finally going still with her short hair sticking up in all directions. She wanted so badly to break the little device, but she couldn't due to the amount of work she'd put into making the signal from it trace proof.

"Is that enough for you, Colonel?"

"I'll do my best sir, but that's not much to go on."

"I know. We will talk when I arrive back at the base. Which should take no more than an hour." Treize was trying not to sigh yet again. He had so been looking forward to that bottle of brandy from his father.

"Yes sir. I look forward to your return." Lady Une then began an extensive search for 'a man named Riku'. She didn't find much, but printed out a small document from a local police force in Australia.

"Of course. Good evening, Une." He hung up the phone and turned in time to find a law enforcement officer standing there to ask him questions.

Skeren was still muttering when Treize entered the vehicle a few minutes later. "Not only didn't I get an apology, the bastard hung up on me! If he wasn't so goddess damned important, I'd kill him!"

Treize blinked as the young woman cursed, and began chuckling. "That's an interesting way of putting things."

Skeren turned her head to look at him and lifted her phone. "He hung up on me!"

"Who? Someone important enough to rile you, I take it."

"Someone who's been making my life harder than it really needs to be and managed to ruin what was left of my good evening!" Skeren huffed a bit, finally managing to fully calm herself before she put her phone away. "And an 'Oh well' will never be considered a sufficient apology."

Treize laughed again. "No, never. Of course, I don't find that problem among my subordinates."

"Yes, well, this person and I have yet to meet face to face, so I haven't managed to instill the fear of me in him yet. But I will." Skeren nodded, smiling a bit. "You know, I'm glad we'd been outside before that blew."

"As am I. I don't think anyone else made it out after we did." He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "A pity really. Such a waste." He shook his head sadly.

"Yes. It was that. I liked their pasta." Skeren glanced past him out the window as the car started to move, and there was a flash of anger in her eyes before she sat back. "Yes, an 'Oh well' is never a sufficient apology."

Treize snorted at her repetition. "Never. Michael, back to the base, if you please." He turned to his companion. "I suspect things will be much more interesting now. Do you know the Gundam pilots?"

"Know of them. I've gotten a good look at a few, as well, due to Relena. Otherwise, I know them as little as they know me. How well are you acquainted with them?" She raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile hovering on her lips.

"Oh, I know a few quite well. Chang has tried to kill me once before. He's very… precocious... and determined to have my head on a pike. This looks like something he, or Maxwell, would attempt to do. They might like your friend."

Skeren frowned a bit. "I just bet, the bastard," she muttered the barely audible reply before looking back to him again. "I'm afraid I know Yuy and Maxwell best on sight. I'm still trying to figure out how she does it."

"She? Ms. Darlian?"

"Of course. I'll figure it out one of these days too." Skeren smiled a bit.

"Wouldn't we all? Zechs has found that contacting them is a bit of an issue, at times. I still owe Chang, but that is beside the point. So, would you care to explain how you met my cousin and Ms. Darlian?"

"Her father. Before he died he managed to trap me into going to one of the recent social events. I met both the girls there. They were about a minute away from resorting to fists in an argument when I found them."

Treize looked at her with open shock. "Relena... Darlian… and my cousin... resorting to fisticuffs?" He began to laugh. "I would have paid to see that. Do you have pictures, perchance?"

"I'm afraid not, but I managed to reach them in time to get a nice little scar from the princess. She throws a rather amazing punch." Skeren moved her hair, showing a little streak that was hidden by her hair on the far back of her cheekbone. "They both stopped arguing rather quickly when they realized they'd gotten a bystander, and the fact I was bleeding all over them certainly helped that." Her voice was dry.

"Quite lovely. I will have to amend my opinion of the lady then. Do you know what they were arguing over?"

"Yes." Skeren dropped her hair, starting to laugh quietly. "It was an argument over whether or not violence could solve anything."

Treize laughed out loud, trying to wipe at the tears forming at the corner of his eyes. "Ah, idealism is quite interesting when it comes down to making it reality. But to actually think Relena would try to strike someone..." He trailed off, looking out the window. "I think I will inform Zechs of this matter," he added lightly.

"It'd shock him a bit, I think. Oh yes, she sent him a letter today. Via me." Skeren settled back into her seat. "She figured out who he was."

"Well, I was aware that Noin informed her of her blood tie to him." He sighed. "Quite an ugly mess in Antarctica."

"I heard about that. Things got pretty quiet after that." Skeren shook her head. "You do know that we'll be all over the news now though, don't you?"

"But of course. Although, I've become accustomed to seeing myself villianized on the Earth Sphere's news."

"I've managed to avoid it up till now." She got a stricken look. "And I'm in a dress, damn it!"

"A very fitting dress, but I doubt you are as high profile as I am."

"Oh yeah? You just wait and see what you have to deal with now that my followers will know where I am. Your base won't stand a chance against the flock of them." Her voice was a tad sour and annoyed.

"Yes, well, I have a few strings I can pull. I think I can manage to keep your name out of it. It's too late for me, more's the pity."

Skeren laughed a bit. "Yes, well. Considering the explosion, I'm sure to expect the Princess and the Amazon to arrive at your base in the morning regardless."

"I shouldn't expect anything less from those two, by now," Treize said, sighing as the car stopped. "I suppose I should walk you to your quarters before going to deal with my upset underlings?"

Skeren smiled at him and nodded, pushing her door open. "Good luck with them."

Treize walked stiffly to his office, not surprised to find Noin, Une and Zechs there already, but more than surprised to see the blond man in a rumpled uniform. "So, that is what she meant," he commented below his breath as he sat down. Skeren had apparently been sure to delay any possible new clothes from reaching the pair she'd terrorized that day.

"Reports," Treize got to the point, looking at the three before him.

"Sir, I printed out a document from a local police force in Australia. It was the only thing I could find about this 'Riku', which I have reason to believe is a code name." Une handed him the report.

"Interesting. That is the only thing? Did you call down there?" Treize looked at Noin. "Lucrezia, I need you to call the local news, and tell them to leave all names but my own out of the story on the fire. Zechs, what happened to your clothes?"

"That... person... happened," the blond snarled, trying to straighten his uniform.

"Yes sir," Noin replied and left to do just that.

"Well, let me see the document in question," Treize said, reaching out a gloved hand to take the paper.

The document read as thus: Brisbane Police Department report 28957: Wanted: Male, going by name 'Riku'. Age: Unknown. Suspect is wanted for: Espionage, arson, hacking, murder, racketeering, embezzlement, inciting riots, private and public property damages in excesses of three billion credits, breaking and entering, grand theft auto, money laundering, smuggling, illegal drug trafficking, and distribution of stolen equipment. The report contained a very limited description. Suspect is male, reputed to be thin. Any districts with any info pertaining to culprit please contact Brisbane PD.

Treize's eyes widened as he read the report out loud, and looked up to see his own reaction mirrored in Zechs' tight-lipped expression. "Quite.... A repertoire... No doubt this is someone we will have to watch out for."

He was greeted by a scoff from the blond. "That is perhaps the most vague thing I've heard you say in the last ten years, Treize."

"Thank you, Marquise. There was nothing else, Une?"

"I found a few vague comments floating around the Internet, but nothing worth printing," Une replied simply, making a faintly annoyed face.

"Such as? Rumors tend to be more informative than actual reports."

"Nothing that that report doesn't already tell us." Une shook her head a bit. The report was as close to rumors as she'd been able to find in the short amount of time.

"I notified the news about the accident. I'm sure the public will respond." Noin had just returned to the room and was sure to add in her part. "But the local authorities here weren't very helpful. They told me that they'd had a string of random fires and accidents that seem unrelated. It could just as easily be the Gundam pilots..."

"But of course. Thank you, Noin. Une, Zechs, would you care to share what Ms. Dalren did to your wardrobes?" Treize withheld a smirk as he asked the question.

Zechs' visible face flushed a few shades of red as he looked at Une. "I'd rather not, sir."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"No, sir." Une looked uneasy that he'd press the point.

"That bad, I see." He finally let himself smirk before his expression grew grave. "That is all. I have a few things to finish up. I will see you in the morning. Good night," he said, turning around to look out of the window behind his desk.

Across town from the base.

Riku swerved his motorcycle to a stop outside a high security warehouse. He needed some new weapons and equipment.

"Riky, hon, what are we doin' here?" Makoto said, looking at the building in front of her.

"I'm looking for some new parts," Riku replied, walking up to the building and examining it, before pulling out a key card.

"What kinds?" she whispered, following closely behind him.

"The kind that they keep in here." Riku punched in a code and swiped his card, before yanking off the cover of the machine and splicing the wires.

"What do they keep here?" Makoto asked, drawing a small dagger from her hip boot and handing it to Riku. "Use this, hon."

"Thanks." Riku replied, and took the knife. The door opened a moment later with a soft thunk. Riku pulled out some latex gloves and put them on. He tossed an extra pair to Makoto. "Use these if you take anything." He walked in and started "shopping."

Makoto blinked, but put on the tacky gloves anyway. "Do you not know the meaning of fashion sense? These things are horrid," she hissed, picking up a rather interesting looking gun and shoving it in her other hip boot. "Toys, eh? I can go for that."

"They are for function, not fashion," Riku replied, pocketing two Desert Eagles and a 9mm.

"Is that a double barrel .22 over there? I haven't seen one of those since I was back home," she muttered, snatching up the shotgun and shoving it down the back of her shirt. "Girl needs protection, yanno?"

Riku rolled his eyes a little. "So do I." he replied and picked up the latest model of sniper rifle, this one was called 'The Silencer'. It came complete with a scope and a laser focus. Riku grinned almost maniacally. Imagine what I could do with this! He strapped it to his back, and pulled out a backpack, filling it up with ammo and some extra computer parts for hacking.

"Lookie, Riku, are those throwing stars? I suggest you get some of those to make up with Skeren for your stunt." She snatched up the beautiful silicon chips on the table next to the stars.

"She can bite me. I have work to do and she knows it." Riku came up next to Mako, and looked over the throwing stars. He took a few although he wasn't really that interested in them. But no harm in being prepared.

"You don't know her, do ya? She might just bite your ass for that little moment of fun ya had. Although, I'll admit the colors were pretty."

"No, I don't know her, and if she gets snippy about it, that's what I'll use this 9mm for. Let's get out of here; we've been here too long."

"Agreed," Makoto whispered, snatching up a few more computer parts and shoving them into her shoulder bag as they left.

Riku didn't bother to shut the door behind him, tossing his latex gloves in the nearest dumpster, and then climbing back onto his bike. He tossed a helmet to Makoto. "This time, wear your helmet." He stated this as he started the bike.

Makoto stripped off the gloves, making a face at the powder on her hand. "But the helmet messes up my hair, Riku, hon."

"Too bad. Wear it." Riku didn't make any move to put on his own helmet.

Sighing, Makoto shoved the helmet on her head, and sat behind the white haired man. "You know, they're gonna pull you over, sugar. Hey, why aren't you wearing one, then?"

Riku smirked as he took off down the street. "Messes up my hair."

Makoto smacked him before grabbing onto his waist for safety. "You suck."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Riku couldn't resist the comment, going from zero to sixty in three seconds flat back towards their hideout.

In the current safe house of the pilots.

Quatre found Duo in the library, staring out of the window. "Ten credits for your thoughts?"

"I just need a little action is all... You wanna watch some TV with me?" Duo got to his feet, padding into the living room, which was currently empty.

Quatre shrugged and muttered, following the braided pilot. "I suppose it couldn't hurt. What did you have in mind?"

Duo flipped on the TV and settled onto the couch, but didn't get as far as changing the channel when he heard the news report that was on. "The restaurant had General Treize Khushrenada, as well as a politically active representative that has yet to be identified. Suspicion rests on the Resistance activists and the Gundam pilots at this time."

"Oh, we're being blamed when we're in hiding. How nice," Quatre replied to the TV with no little amount of sarcasm.

Wufei stopped in his room, dropping off his book, and picked up his sword. There was no way he was staying in that house with a bored Maxwell. He'd already proven how dangerous he was to Wufei's sanity. Trowa followed Wufei into the room and just stood in the doorway.

"What?" Wufei growled, staring at banged boy in his way. "Is there something I can do for you, Barton?"

"You can't leave. We're on a strict observation mission," Trowa replied, not moving an inch.

Wufei's hand gripped his sword's hilt tighter. "I am not leaving. Merely going outside to practice. If you don't move, I will begin early."

"Come back inside soon." Trowa finally conceded and stepped aside, making a motion with his hand for Wufei to go.

Duo glared at the TV. "That is so wrong! We need that guy to keep all of them other factions distracted still. Why would we go and off him, and like that no less? I don't believe this." Duo raised his voice. "Oi! Come here and hear what was on the news!"

"Wufei and Trowa are upstairs. Heero's still in the other room," Quatre said, his face becoming pensive. "Although, you bring up a good point. Treize serves as a nice distraction."

Duo nodded, getting to his feet and heading upstairs. "Come hear what was on the news!"

"What?" Wufei snapped, feeling the urge to hurt something grow.

"We're getting blamed for a bombing you guys!" Duo leaned into the doorway, effectively blocking Wufei.

"WHAT?" Wufei was the picture of shock.

Just as Duo left the room, Heero entered it, giving Quatre a look of amusement. "We can leave now. Orders say so."

"Oh? Whose orders?" Quatre got up from the couch, interested.

"All five. Seems the break is over." Heero led Quatre to his laptop and gestured at the overall message.

"Someone tried to blow up the OZ General and another politician tonight." Duo dealt with the stunned answer only to get forcibly moved.

Wufei pushed the braided boy out of his way, and walked directly to the room where Heero and Quatre were. "Is it true?"

Duo followed Wufei back immediately, tugging Trowa along, though he made a face at the green-eyed boy's dry comment. "Delightful... Now, at least, Duo won't die by Wufei's hands..."

"Is what true?" Heero glanced up to Wufei.

"The bombing?"

"So, that's why they lifted our orders." Heero nodded once, moving back to let the other three see the screen.

"Tsao!" Wufei muttered, pushing his way out of the group and back to his room to pack.

Duo blinked a couple times. He hadn't heard that particular word before. "Wuffles! What does that mean?"

"Something that I'm not telling you," Wufei promptly shouted down the stairs. Trowa glanced to the others and just nodded, and then he too, left to pack.

Duo sighed and shook his head, going to get his things together. "Ah, well, time to pack, ladies! I, at least, have a pyro to find!"

Quatre snorted and then turned to leave. "Would you like me to pack your things too, Heero, while you reply back to the doctors?"

Heero gave Quatre a startled look. Then, his lips curved into a faint smile. "Yes." He then settled back into his chair to type out the reply.

"Okay," the blond retorted, unsure whether to be insulted or not, before making his way past the other rooms on the upper floor to pack for two.

Duo was a bit quicker than the others were; he had been packing before he decided it was boring and had started the book thing. He was back out in the room where Heero was in no time. "Hey, buddy. I'm going to be heading out, if any of you care to join me with my new little hobby, just gimme a buzz."

Heero glanced up, pushing send before turning to look at Duo. "Going solo?"

Duo gave a wry twist of his lips, seeing some personal irony in that statement. "Yeah. Suppose I am going solo for a bit after dealing with you people for twenty-four-seven this week. See you." With that, Duo left the room, silent as a ghost.

Quatre quickly finished packing both his and Heero's sparse belongings, but found he was the last one to finish. He had the fortune to see the lovely sight of a petulant Wufei and a stoic Trowa. Heero looked up as the other three came downstairs, and then closed his laptop, tucking it into it's small carry case and heading towards them. "Duo left already. Any of you going to join him?"

Wufei looked at the other three. "He's gone to find the bomber? I will go as well." He stated it simply, moving out to head for Nataku to contact his current companion. Duo had already taken off in Deathscythe before Wufei had heard he'd left, headed to the area that the bombing occurred. They might not make the best team if silence was involved, but Duo should expect to be followed out there. Wufei understood how Duo's mind worked, whether he was willing to admit it or not, and headed to the bombed area, listening to the news reports in Nataku.

"Any other orders in place?" Trowa asked quietly, waiting until he had all the information.

Heero glanced after, and Wufei then looked back to Trowa before shaking his head. "We're free to follow our own leads, though they do want to know who the other politician was."

Quatre paused. "I suppose this means I do research?"

Trowa nodded and left for Heavyarms for his own agenda. He smiled a little to himself as he flew off.

"I wonder what Trowa's got on his mind."

Back at the base.

Treize sat in his office, going over the whole evening in his mind, piecing together tiny strands of information. Then, it suddenly hit him, and he felt stupid. Ms. Skeren Dalren knew the bomber. He was not happy about that, and was determined to find out just how much the girl knew, but before he could react, someone knocked on his door. "Yes?"

The door was pushed open once an answer was attained, and none other than Dorothy Catalonia and Relena Darlian-Peacecraft stood there. Dorothy was the first to speak. "Cousin."

Treize stood as the young ladies entered his office. "Cousin, Ms. Darlian. Please sit. How may I help you?"

They each took a seat and Relena smiled brightly at Treize. "We've come to be sure our friend is alright. Is it a good guess she was the one with you?"

Treize sat down with a mild smile. "She is fine. I managed to get her into my car before the debris started to fall. Although, something tells me that our mutual 'friend' knows who tried to kill me."

Dorothy blinked once, before answering with a noncommittal "oh?"

Relena glanced from one to the other, and then looked back to Treize again as she leaned back in her seat, letting Dorothy talk for the moment. She was always talking, and she was letting someone else for once.

"You, dear cousin, fail to fool me. Ms, Dalren has informed me of your help with her. Although, certain things she said have made me think that she might." He scoffed. "And no offense, but she's hardly as high profile as I am."

Dorothy nodded slightly. "She can't afford to be."

"Of course not. It matters not if my head is in the noose, as long as there are players who can keep things active when they hang me."

"You are aware that was a very bad metaphor?" Dorothy's voice was droll, and she smirked a little at Treize.

"I believe I was using a very accurate metaphor," Treize replied jovially, winking at both girls. "Do they teach you nothing but total pacifism at those schools you attend?"

Dorothy gave Treize a mildly insulted look. "Of course not."

Treize smiled widely that time. "Pleased to hear other aspects of your education are attended to as well. Now, what else can I do for you?"

"We came to see Skeren. She was supposed to tell me if... Zechs... reacted to my letter." Relena folded her hands together.

"I believe that Zechs has had other things on his mind, and is now unavailable... Due to certain circumstances. But, I think I can arrange to have someone show you to Ms. Dalren's room. Is that acceptable?"

"Completely. Dorothy, please, feel free to stay and talk with your cousin while I get a few answers from Skeren." Relena sat forward on her seat.

Treize pressed his intercom. "Watts, please escort Ms. Darlian to Ms. Dalren's room."

"Yes, sir."

"If you will go out in the hall, Watts will serve as a nice escort, even if he talks too much."

Relena nodded, going out to meet the escort with a smile. She'd be disappointed when she found out Skeren's nature had halted seeing the letter opened.

Dorothy waited for the door to close before looking back to Treize. "Now, what did you mean in saying I don't fool you?"

Treize smiled as the door closed behind the girl, and then turned on his cousin. "You... scamp. How dare you tell Skeren anything you would not tell me? Do you know how vital that information may be? Hence the comments about being hung. Your detestable grandfather is trying to not only kick me out of Romefeller and steal OZ, but have me assassinated."

"Of course I know. She has some unique connections I have been taking advantage of to give you some breathing room." Dorothy smiled a bit to herself. "It was for your own benefit." Dorothy leaned forward onto the desk, small smile turning into a smirk.

"Breathing room? Dermail is more determined than ever to prove that I am too young for my position and too idealistic to solve this problem."

"True, but he hasn't managed it yet. Did she inform you as to her reason for being here in the first place?"

"I'd happily shoot him if the opportunity arose. She vaguely touched on it, but we never gave each other totally straight answers on anything. You tell me."

"She's here to win you to her cause." Dorothy's voice was dryly amused as she said this, and proceeded to wait for his reaction.

Treize took a good look at his 'little cousin' and scowled. "And what, pray tell, is her cause? Am I some front man for everyone?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't know what her cause is." Dorothy had to laugh. "Trust me, you aren't someone she wants for the public. That's Relena's job."

"Dear god, I feel for that girl. Everyone wants to use her." He looked at her again, his expression softening. "Then what does she want?"

Dorothy seriously thought about it for a second. "She wants to save the OZ elite from the things she's unable to stop."

"I'd like to prevent any of my men from dying needlessly. To think any other way would be barbaric. Whom is she considering the 'elite'?"

"The people who are at risk to the political takeover; namely you, Zechs, Une, and Noin. The others are safe, and will follow you where you go, if she can win you over. If she hasn't done anything to you since she got here, she must respect you."

"Well, that does not bode well for Zechs and Une. They have been... attacked by Skeren." He thought over the rest of what she'd said. "And yes, I suppose the four of us would take the most backlash if anything were to go wrong."

Dorothy looked slightly alarmed as she heard the word attacked. "Please tell me you are referring to her sense of humor."

"Oh, I believe so. It seems that they are far too… orderly for her taste."

Dorothy relaxed as she heard that, her smirk tipping back up. "Yes, I can see how that would be. Order goes against how she likes to do things."

"So I've gathered. Unfortunately, it must be adhered to at times."

"Of course. She is the person handling Relena's security. She knows when not to push." Dorothy nodded once, a small smile trying to transform her smirk.

"Oh, that's refreshing. So, tell me, what is that sewer rat you call a grandfather doing?"

"Planning something. He's started to avoid me this last week." Her tone said just how much this annoyed her.

"I have a feeling I know what he's up to. Watch out for any news about L3, X18999, or the name Dekim Barton. I don't trust anyone right now, except those who have proven to me that they deserve it."

Dorothy smiled. "Of course. Don't discount Skeren too quickly though. She's trying to help and solve this war in her own way." Dorothy thought over the Barton thing as something clicked. "I've heard him mentioning Barton. Something about his little red wren."

"Wren? I don't like the sound of that..." He turned to face the window again. "Tell me what you think about arranging a meeting between all the pilots and your friend."

"I think it's a good idea, if all involved were convinced it was." Dorothy studied Treize as he turned away from her, though her mask didn't slip.

"Ah, the crux of it all. That would require Chang and Yuy to desist in trying to actually kill me. Don't you think so?"

"You haven't been paying attention, have you? The last two weeks the Gundams haven't been in any of the battles. It's the allied factions and the Rebels, not Gundams. Though, with this new one getting blamed on them I think the truce just got a premature end."

"Oh, I have been paying attention, and trying to keep Zechs from going off to find Yuy to continue their delayed battle, but it seems pointless. We will all be dragged back in, eventually, unless..."

"Unless you find a way to stop it. Or, unless Skeren finds a way to turn the battles the way she wants them to go." Dorothy said this quietly.

"I'd rather stop the fighting forever. I suppose I'm as idealistic as Relena, though I know that some weapons are necessary." He sighed wearily. "What time is it, cousin?"

Dorothy moved her hand to open her locket, peering inside before closing it and letting it thump back against her chest. "Nearly one in the morning."

Treize ran a hand over his face. "I think we should continue this later. Would you like me to show you to Skeren's room as well?"

"I think that might be best. You'll need your sleep to deal with your seconds come morning." Dorothy sounded sympathetic.

"You have no idea." He turned around, feeling his weariness for the first time. "I'm thinking of growing a goatee. What do you think?" He walked around to the other side of the desk and offered the blonde girl his arm.

Dorothy took her cousin's arm and gave him a look. "Not unless you are going in for the villain of a movie. With our eyebrows, it's the only alternative."

Treize laughed. "I thought I was already the villain?" He walked out of the office, and led her down a few corridors to stop in front of a non-descript door. "Here you are. Give my regards." With that, Treize left to go to his own quarters.

Dorothy shook her head. "You don't have to stay a villain, cousin." Then, she slipped into the room, lips twitching as she saw the pair asleep, Relena on the bed, and Skeren on the little couch. Dorothy chuckled softly and pulled a blanket over Skeren, before climbing in with Relena. Of course, she locked the door first.

Treize was surprised to find Zechs already in his room when he arrived. "Yes, Zechs?"

"How was the rest of your evening?" He leaned back, making himself comfortable.

"Interesting. My cousin and your sister have joined us on the base." Treize gave him an amused look, his own impish streak showing for a moment.

"WHAT?" Zechs reacted just as the regal man had hoped, bolting upright as he stared at the other.

"Calm down. It's unlike you to react like that." A blatant fib, for he knew how Zechs could be at times.

"My sister is here?" His voice was rife with disbelief.

"Yes, you can meet with her in the morning. But as for now, I'm rather tired, and I'd like to sleep." Zechs looked like he wanted to protest, but after a single determined look from the other, fell silent and left for his own quarters, letting them both get well deserved sleep.

Riku and Makoto, back at their hideout.

Riku helped himself to a small sandwich and sat down on the soft couch, leaving his weapons in the corner, hunger leaving the stash for later. "You gonna eat or just stand in the corner?"

Makoto on the other hand, walked over to the small icebox, grabbed a bottled water, and opened it, not feeling hungry. "You know I only eat when I want. Not when other's expect me to...." She rolled her eyes.

"Suit yourself." Riku replied and continued to quietly eat, processing ideas in his head.

She shuddered as she watched him eat, and pulled out her new toys in her hip boots. She felt a bit lighter already, and happily pulled the shotgun out of her shirt and smiled. "Fun toy, eh?"

"It's rather small," Riku commented as he finished his sandwich.

"Oh, this is for show. One day, I'll show you my real toys," she drawled, caressing the metal barrels. "Reminds me of home."

Riku snorted. "You girls and your toys..."

"What?" Makoto glared at Riku. "Like you and your precious bombs aren't just as annoyin' sometimes." She rolled her eyes, and tried to adjust to her sword's scabbard scrapping the floor.

Riku shrugged. "It gets the job done."

Makoto scoffed. "Sure they do, but where's the beauty? Nothin' like seein' a grown man cry as you cut his head off." She smiled, coldly, her brown eyes looking almost dead. "Or the color of his blood."

Riku smiled a little. "I agree."

"Knew ya would..." She sighed, placing the shotgun down and grabbing her water. "How can you eat that crap?"

"What crap would that be?" Riku stood up to get his bag of stolen weapons and take inventory.

"All of it. If it doesn't grow from the ground, naturally, I ain't eatin' it. No tellin' what they do to those cows, though I know what they do. Might be why I don't eat it."

"Makoto. Did you watch me make that sandwich at all?" Riku gave her a clearly annoyed look.

She shuddered, not looking at him. "Do I ever?"

"Then you'd know I'm a strict vegetarian." Riku looked away, pulled out his two new desert eagles, and put them in his shoulder holsters, replacing his old 9mms.

"But, you do know that I am vegan. If it comes from an animal, I dun eat it or drink it. You know that."

"Of course I knew that," Riku snapped. "I am insulted you ever thought I was anything but."

"Yeah, yeah. We share that, dun we, Riku-hon?" Makoto said, standing up to open the icebox again. "Interested in an apple?"

"Please," Riku replied, holding up his hand to catch one. His pager went off a moment later.

Makoto deftly threw an apple over her shoulder, snatched one for herself, and then turned around. "Who is it?"

"A client of mine," Riku replied while checking the code and tucked it back into his pocket. He got up and threw on a black cotton sweater over his white dress shirt. He left the room and returned a moment later. "I should be back in about 20 or so minutes. If anymore than that, call me, but not any sooner."

Makoto shrugged, and pulled out her phone, checking her voicemail for messages since she'd turned it off after the conversation with Skeren. Skeren had left a couple messages, one saying that she wasn't going to kill the boy, and the other questioning if it would be possible for them to get a line to the pilots. Makoto sighed as she listened to the messages from Skeren, nodded to Riku before he left, turned off her phone, and considered which of her other contacts she could use to get to the Gundam boys.

Riku went back outside to his bike and hopped on. He had ten minutes to get across town to meet with his client. It wouldn't be a problem.

The Gundam pilots.

"Thanks. Pleasure doing business with you." Trowa thanked the stranger as he left the abandoned alleyway and headed back to his hidden Gundam. He opened a comm-link with Duo as he pocketed his merchandise. "Do you need any help?" He was eager to get to work now that he had his things.

Duo picked up immediately. "Hitting the leads first thing in the morning. Got a rumor a white haired dude is in town that's known for being fire happy. Nobody can tell me anything else though. Kinda like me an my braid."

Trowa blinked. "A white haired guy?"

Wufei scoffed as he overheard Duo's interaction. "You and your braid are notorious, Maxwell."

"Yes." Duo paused to stick his tongue out at Wufei. "But only a select few can recognize me, even with those wanted posters!"

"Because most people aren't trained to spot wanted criminals, and OZ soldiers are a joke. Except for Marquis, Une and Noin," Wufei retorted, and then scowled. "And even those two women are something to laugh at."

Duo looked amused at Wufei's comments. "So I take it you aren't looking for the perfect woman, Wu darling?" He accompanied the words with a laugh, and turned back to his conversation with Trowa. "So, yeah, all I got was the white hair. He's pretty good."

Wufei sputtered. "I will not deign that with a comment," he replied, while trying to regain his composure.

"Hmm..." Trowa replied and sat back in his chair a little. It was too much of a coincidence, really.

"Barton, do you know something?" Wufei ignored Duo for a moment.

"I might. I think I need to make a phone call," Trowa replied, and shut off the link.

Duo turned his attention to Wufei fully as that happened. "So, you aren't looking for the perfect woman!"

Wufei's mood soured considerably between Barton's non-committal answer, and Duo's incessant chatter. "I'm not looking for anyone, but Khushrenada's head."

"Oh, is that how it is? You sure he'd let you do that for him? I never even thought you swung that way!"

Wufei glared darkly at the American with a death wish. "I'd like to stake you both. Him for what he's done, and you for the sheer annoyance factor." He stalked away, trying to ignore the American.

"I never thought that what I do was a turn on!" Duo followed after him.

"What are you talking about? Can you get your filthy mind out of your crotch for five seconds and behave like an actual warrior?"

"Well, you said you wanted to stake me. That's what I'm talking about." Duo purred it, trying not to laugh. "But, sad to say, though I'm a warrior, I have no interest in you. I like tall people."

"That's fine with me. I'd like someone with a brain."

"Then, I must be your perfect man. So sad for you." Duo flipped his braid back. "After all, if you must rely on your sword, that means you're lacking in other attractions."

Wufei could feel his eye twitch at that last comment. "I said a brain, not a braid. Fool."

"A fool is a wise man who doesn't know when to speak. But if you listen to a fool, you will never feel you are less. Is that why you love me Wu? I make you feel like a wiser guy?"

Wufei laughed. "The thought of being with you is a joke. Really."

"Just you wait and see. You'll be in shock once I find my perfect match. You'll never see it coming." Duo smirked, straightening up. Wufei never did look deeper. He just was content to verbally spar with him.

"A person who needs someone else to make him feel complete is not secure with himself. It is only a man who knows what he really wants that is the victor, Maxwell."

"Yes, I know. I know exactly what I want in life, but I don't see you having the same resolve." Duo smirked. "I don't need someone to complete me, I want someone to compliment me."

"I know what I want, Maxwell. I never said that I didn't. It's just that I fight for what I want. I feel no need to be... complimented, as you put it." His tone was a bit saddened before he snapped his head back up and looked out.

Duo gave Wufei a considering look. "You just watch and see though, man, you never know."

"I don't want to know. I want... Nevermind. Let's continue what we were doing," Wufei said, looking for traces of the bomber.

Back at the hideout.

Riku returned like he said he would, twenty minutes later. He greeted Makoto with a small nod.

Makoto sighed. "Riku, what would be the best way to contact five wanted 'criminals'?" She looked up at the white haired man.

"Piss 'em off by blowing up a building," Riku answered, completely nonchalant. He pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and began to write something down. "You know, encroach on their turf?"

"I think we have, darlin'. You know that restaurant you torched? Seems Khushy-babe and the Gundam pilots are 'friends'."

"Good," Riku replied. "And I didn't torch it, I decimated it." Riku looked up and smiled. "If you like, I can demonstrate the difference."

"True. And it was gorgeous. Too bad Skeren was there... I'da liked to stay and see the place cave in..." She sighed wistfully. "Wonder how long it's gonna take..."

"How do you know Skeren anyway?" Riku asked as he started to chew on his pen, fluffing his hair a little with his other hand.

"Met her when I was on a job. Seems one of her daddy's friend's was my target. She's a cute thing. Why?"

"How long have you known her? And what kind of job?"

Makoto thought it over. "I suppose for 'bout two years now. What kind of work did I do when I met you?"

"Assassination." Riku turned away from her and made some more calculations.

"There you go. I think I might have another job comin' up... Ever heard of a Dekim Barton?" Makoto asked, looking at the man's head as she turned over the information one of her other calls had given her.

"I have. Why?" Riku's pager went off again, and he picked it up.

"Oh, nothin'. Know anything about him? All I know is that he's on L3 with some cute little kid. That's it."

"He's a pretty important guy from what I know. Messy stuff." Riku frowned at his pager. "Do you have my phone?"

Makoto searched her jacket. "Nope. Just mine. I gave you yours back when you started yellin' at me about usin' your phone." She searched through her bag. "Wanna use mine?"

"Please. I can't seem to find mine," Riku replied.

Makoto tossed her phone at him. "Catch! I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me if anybody important calls, or you find somethin' out." She picked up her shotgun and other toys and went to her room.

Riku dialed the number given to him on his pager. "Yeah?" Pause. "What?!" Pause. "You want me to come now?" Pause. "Alright. Perhaps, if I'm not there in an hour, I'm not coming." Riku hung up the phone and went after Makoto.

Makoto paused at the knock on her door. "Somethin' already? What?"

"I think you might wanna come with me," was the cryptic response from Riku. He looked whiter than normal, even with his pale skin. "And bring your things. We won't be coming back to this place."

Makoto eyed him. "Who called? SHIT! What the hell is this about?" She snatched her phone and dialed Skeren's, leaving a message that they were picking up and leaving. She then packed her things in her large shoulder bag, grabbed a few bottles of water from the fridge, followed Riku outside, and set the detonator to the hideout to eliminate all traces. She wasn't taking any chances. "I hate you sometimes."

Skeren jerked awake as her phone rang and she dug it out of her pocket, looking blearily at the phone before calling back. "Now what was that?"

Makoto stabbed at the accept button of her phone. "What do you mean? Riku gets a strange page, calls, and then comes and interrupts my beauty sleep. I'm not happy, and we have to be on the move, but he won't say why."

"Is there somewhere I can meet you?" Skeren sat up, getting the feeling this was important.

Riku packed up his things, left without saying a word, hopping on his bike, and waiting for Makoto.

"Talk to the idiot," she snapped, shoving the cell phone at Riku before getting on the bike.

"What now?" Riku glared at Makoto and held up the phone. "Who's this?" He intoned coldly. He started his bike and gunned off down the road.

"BOTH HANDS!! How many times I gotta tell ya!" Makoto yelled as he pulled off, and she held onto him for dear life.

Skeren heard the bike and raised her voice a little. "What's the hurry, and is there somewhere I can meet you guys if this is extreme?"

"Don't call me an idiot!" Riku yelled back, losing his usually calm demeanor.

Skeren got up, tugging on her boots. "Where can I meet you guys and how fast do I need to get there?" She changed the skirt of the dress for black pants.

"FINE! I TAKE IT BACK!! JUST DRIVE SANELY!!"

"Nothing too extreme." Riku replied into the phone. "My clients don't usually call me back and--" Riku abruptly halted his part of the conversation. "You got a car?" Riku calmed down his driving and drove 'sanely' as Makoto asked.

"Yes, I have a car. Where am I going in it?" Skeren was putting on her weapons from her pockets, blending them into the new pockets with the air of a lifetime of practice.

"Thank ya, kindly," Makoto said loudly, praying to the spirits of her ancestors that she was going to live through this night.

Skeren scribbled out a note that said she had to run an errand and shouldn't be too long in returning.

"There's a park just off 34th St. Park there and walk two more blocks south. There should be a small dock. We'll meet you there."

"Got it." Skeren hung up, and then got her black cloak jacket, tucking her gear away quickly and heading out the door, locking it behind her.

"That's a slummy area, Riku. Lot's of slime will be there." Makoto sighed. "Care to tell me why we left so early?"

"It's isolated." Riku yelled over the din of his bike.

Skeren moved down the halls with quick steps, inadvertently dodging the cameras as she went to her car. Moments later, she hopped in and drove for the specified location.

"You're armed. I don't see what the problem is."

"I'm also a lady.... Besides, I'm sick of this cheap shit. You are taking me somewhere nice, soon." She glared at the back of his head. "And you owe me dinner, damn it."

"Stop glaring at me," Riku responded. He could tell she was doing it by the way her fingers tightened on his clothes. "Fine, I'll buy you dinner. Or rather, breakfast in a few hours. As long as you replace my boots you stole."

"I didn't steal your boots. You left them... But, I'll replace 'em after my next job." She closed her eyes as the wind wiped past her face. "You gripe more than I do."

"Not really," Riku replied, taking a corner especially fast. He didn't know if they had time to meet with Skeren and then get back across to the place where his 'client' wanted to meet with him.

Makoto noticed the flash of blue and red lights off her helmet. "Shit! Damn you, Riku. The cops are after us!"

"Damn it." Riku cursed looking in his rearview mirrors. "Help me steer," Riku said. He let go of the handlebars and reached up into his sweater for one of his guns.

Mako reached all the way forward to try and steer the monstrosity of a bike down the street. "Lean a little to the left," she shouted, trying to move them around a corner shortcut.

Riku leaned, and then turned around partially and opened fire. He was an excellent marksman, and hit the driver's side tire, making the car spin wildly out of control.

"Great, at least you left 'em alive this time," Mako shouted, trying to adjust her position.

Riku nudged Makoto and took control of the bike again, whipping around the corner. Now that the main car was taken out, he had to double back, and head back the way they were originally going. "I don't have time to kill them. Plus, I forgot my silencer."

Mako snorted. "Really? How unlike you... We should be there soon, ne?"

"Ne." Riku nodded, hoping he threw the cops off his trail, but taking another route. He approached the park and slowed the bike down to park, in a small, unused corner. He waited for Makoto to get off and then followed, making sure to put a silencer on his pistol this time.

Skeren was a shockingly efficient driver, getting to the place a couple minutes before the pair showed up. She had grabbed a black cap, and was leaning against her car like a black wraith when they finally arrived where they'd told her to go. "Where to, my pretties?"

Makoto ran over to Skeren, hugged her, and then glared at Riku. "He tried to kill me, and he still won't tell me what's goin' on."

"You ladies wait here." Riku pointed to the ground with a finger. "I'm meeting my client around the corner."

"He tried to kill me too, remember?" Skeren peered over at Riku with those two toned eyes of hers, and moved over to him once she untangled her limbs from Makoto's. "I'll be around the corner then. Shout if you need a hand."

"Terrific," Makoto muttered. "Another 'client' tryin' to stiff Riku on somethin'... If he comes back in a hurry, I'm gettin' in your car."

"I don't think he's trying to stiff me. We've done business before, but he said something..." Riku shrugged one shoulder, and then left around the corner, knowing they would watch his back if anything suspicious happened.

Skeren then looked to Makoto. "Another thing I forgot to ask after, any leads on that Barton fellow I might want to know? Political topside or otherwise." Her voice was soft, though her eyes followed Riku until he was out of sight.

Makoto grabbed the obligatory pistol Riku asked her to carry, and snatched a few daggers out of the inner pockets of her jacket before paying attention to Skeren. "No, and I'd love to know... Just know he's got some kid with him. They say she's his granddaughter by his dead daughter."

Skeren gave her a sharp look then nodded, moving after Riku to get him back in sight with silent steps. Makoto took the other side, and tried to look like she belonged there, smile on her face, though not her eyes, as she hid her weaponry. She then turned to Skeren, catching her attention and mouthed, "What?"

Skeren quirked her lips and made a slight hush motion, as she looked after Riku, curious as to his customer. She was taller than all three of them at five foot ten.

Makoto snuck around the other corner and caught a glimpse of a brown-haired boy, though she couldn't see his face. 'That's him,' she thought. 'He looks tiny. 'Course, he's about Riku's size.' She was only two inches taller than the pair at five foot seven, minus the heels.

Skeren glanced back to Makoto, and then silently slid so she could hear the interaction. Unfortunately, Riku and Trowa were to far away to distinguish any actual words, and Riku made a secret gesture that Makoto would recognize as 'I'm not sure if this guy is safe to approach. Stay back'

Skeren immediately looked to Makoto for their own set of gestures, as it wasn't one of hers. Makoto caught the motion, and waved a hand behind her back to Skeren to warn her to stay back, hoping the other woman would catch the movement, and then got out one of her daggers, just in case. Skeren nodded, unbuttoning the pocket her shurikens were in and slipping back.

The two men stayed the same distance apart, Trowa casually leaning against the railing of the dock and Riku standing back from him with his arms crossed over his chest. Makoto watched as Riku's face was mostly immobile, but she could see the look of anger flashing in his eyes. 'Shit, who is this kid?' she wondered.

Skeren was watching Makoto more that Riku. She couldn't read him because she didn't know him. Riku reached down into his pocket, pulled out a pen, and handed it to Trowa. Makoto gave Skeren a peace sign, knowing the other would catch the 'Hostile, not good' signal. She then returned to watching the interaction.

Trowa took it, pulled out a small pad of paper, and scribbled for a few moments before showing it to Riku. Riku nodded and Trowa began to scribble again. Skeren gave her a thumbs-up, her own reply. 'I'm ready for flight or fight, waiting.' Makoto yawned quietly, feeling tired, but still watching carefully.

Trowa held up the pad of paper again, tore off a few sheets, and handed them to Riku. Riku said something, and then the two parted ways. Riku returned to where the girls were a few moments later.

Skeren remained silent, peering under the edge of her hat down at him as she waited for what he had to say. Makoto flipped the bird for 'all clear' to Skeren and waited for Riku to come up before talking. "Who was that?"

Riku looked back over his shoulder and then said quietly. "Trowa."

Skeren smirked a bit, tipping her head. "That's the name, not the who. Did you get a who?"

Makoto stopped to think... "Sounds familiar... Trowa... Barton... SHIT! Gundam pilot... Hmm... Wonder if he knows Dekim... Could use the info."

"Later," Riku replied. "Why don't we get some rest now?" He walked off before the girls could question him further.

Skeren outright grinned. "Can you reach him again? I have plans to make." She followed after him, suddenly talkative. "And I'm called Skeren Dalren, yourself?"

"Wait, Riku! Ditch the bike! Cops'll be lookin' for it. We're hitchin' a ride with the lady."

"Riku." He stopped and faced the longhaired girl. "I'm aware of that Makoto." He glared at her for a moment, before turning back to Skeren. "I have plans to meet him again later." He knew he could trust this Skeren; she was a friend of Makoto's after all.

Makoto stuck her tongue out at Riku in a moment of childish fancy. "Ass. So, Skeren, babe, where are we goin' after all this fun? Do I get to meet Khush?"

"How big is your car?" Riku didn't much care for considering what Makoto was talking about.

She met his gaze, eyes currently more purple than gold. "Good. See if he can get his companions to talk with me and a few others sometime, hmm?" With that soft question she moved back to her sleek black car. "Big enough Riku."

"Meet me back at my bike in five. Makoto knows where it is." Riku said to, Skeren, turned and dashed off.

"Yes, you can meet Treize, and you even get to see Dorothy if you behave, and Riku promises me he'll play nice. Or not. Well, where are we going?"

"I always behave... It just doesn't look that way to others. Of course, when you're choppin' off their heads, it's a difference of opinions."

Skeren reached over to pat Makoto on the cheek. "Of course. I know you want to know if those two have natural eyebrows. They're related you know."

"I guess, we're meetin' Stony at his bike. Yanno, this ain't the best place to just stand around," Makoto said moving over to Skeren's car.

Skeren circled around, sliding in the other side. "If they touch me, they won't live to tell. I'm not a damsel, just a politician."

Makoto snickered. "I know that, and yanno that I slice first ask questions later, but even I dun like the idea of standin' around this slum."

"True. So, where are we going?" She closed her door, starting up the car.

"Two blocks north, three blocks west, one block north. Yeah, that's where he left that thing." She grimaced. "I'm almost glad he can't have it after that little stunt he pulled." Skeren laughed and wheeled through the directions, coming to a stop at the location.

"I said five minutes, ladies, not twelve." Riku glared at them. "Pop your trunk."

Makoto glared back. "Shut up and get in."

Skeren climbed out of her car, circling back to open it by hand and take out the lovely toy she had in there. It was a gift for Makoto. The other was a whip she'd fashioned all for herself. "Makoto, I have a gift for you while he gets his stuff." She had the wrapped blade in her hands, hidden in the cloth.

Riku threw in a backpack and a messenger bag. Then, he started lifting in parts of his bike's engine. No way he was leaving these parts.

Makoto happily jumped out of the passenger side and came around to the trunk. "Gift? Whatcha get me, suga'?"

While she was up, Riku took shotgun. Makoto noticed her spot was stolen. "I hate you, Riku. Koroshite aru...." She hissed, turning back to Skeren. "Gift?"

Skeren moved forward sliding the cloth off the blade to reveal a black gundanium short sword that had black fire engraved down the length of the blade, and the handle was a raven, claws around the grip and wings spread with it's head at the base of the blade. It was perfectly balanced. Then, she took out the matching black and gold sheath, with a flight of ravens and gold fire reaching up after them.

"Jigoku ni ike o kutsuwatte te hashi," Riku replied.

Skeren then smiled. "Gift?"

"K'so," Makoto swore as she took in the beautiful knife and sheath. "Ooh, I haven't had somethin' so pretty since my daddy got me my first sword." She patted the hidden blade on her back and smiled before hugging her friend. "Great gift. Almost makes up for me missing sleep." She turned to Riku. "Yeah, and I'll meet you there, and sooner than you think."

Skeren raised an eyebrow. "I'm still learning that language, my dear. What did he say?" She returned the hug.

Riku smirked. "Do digata ni kazana ho akeruzou."

"He, basically, told me to go to hell and I said I was gonna kill him."

"Hmm, I see. Hel is a woman goddess. Good to know such a pretty, bad tempered man believes in someone, ne?" Skeren moved forward, tapping his slightly oriental features up to she could meet his blue gaze before stepping back.

"Gotta catch me first, darlin', and you ain't be able to do that since we met," Makoto said with a seriously dangerous gleam in her eyes.

"Start running." Riku's gleam was just as dangerous.

Skeren glanced from one to the other, her understated authority in her gaze as she spoke. "Enough, you two. We have places to be before I'm missed. Riku, are you finished?"

"She's just cranky cause she hasn't slept in over twenty-four hours. Get your ass in the car." Riku turned away from Makoto.

"Just shut up... I'm too tired to deal with you. I'd rather shoot you with this classless gun you insist I carry," Makoto snapped at Riku, carrying her gift and sliding into the back seat of the car.

Skeren glanced after Makoto. "It's called the Ravenfire by the way."

"Start the car. I'll give you directions."

Skeren then flicked her gaze back to Riku as she got into the front seat. "Very well." She started the engine, waiting for what direction as she put the car into gear, wheeling around to leave the area.

"Try more like thirty-six. You've had more sleep than I have. Ooh, it's such a perfect name." She attached the Ravenfire to her belted skirt and propped her feet up on the bench, laying her head on the back. "She said I could meet Khush and Doro, so this had better be good."

"Turn here." Riku gestured to the left.

Skeren turned, smiling a bit over Makoto's comment. "Relena is there as well. As are Zechs and the lovely ladies. Zechs and Une are a bit upset with me however."

"Turn right at the third light," Riku said.

"I bet," Makoto said, smiling and imagining what she did to piss those two off. "You mean little Miss Princess is there too? Fun."

"Yes. It's her fault overkill here nearly blew me up." She took another turn, swaying to an inner music. "I got about a three hour nap before you guys came through with your call."

"What's sleep like again?" Makoto asked sarcastically. "Where are we goin', Riku?"

"It's nice. Though I have a kink from the tiny couch. Relena stole my bed," Skeren's reply was drawled out.

"A friend of mine's place. I need a new bike." Riku responded. "Take the next street on the right."

Skeren again took the next turn. "Anyone I might know?"

"Doubt it."

"Death machines, though beautiful... Skeren, you let the princess have your bed?"

"She fell over asleep while I was talking to her. Dorothy was cuddling with her when I came here. You know I would have crawled in, but she kicks and punches in sleep, and she already gave me one damn scar, don't need more."

"Stop the car two more blocks down." Riku pointed to a two-story house a ways down.

"I think I know this 'friend'. Dun mind me if I dun get out to see him," Makoto said, practically snarling at the house.

"I'd prefer that you didn't," Riku replied, his tone still rather neutral.

"Yeah, I dun think he liked pickin' that stiletto out of his thigh after he tried to grab my ass. Jerk... It was nice too."

Skeren pulled up to the house. "I'll be meeting the person. Makoto, you guard the car, would you?" She was never reluctant to make a contact, and she had gone to some extremes to do so.

"Wait here," Riku said to Skeren, and then got out when she stopped the car. Riku walked up and knocked on the door and after a few moments, he went in and shut the door behind him. He came back a minute later and leaned over Skeren's window. "You can come in now, if you want to."

"If you think I'm movin' from this back seat, unless to save my own ass, you're sadly mistaken, Skeren."

Skeren got out of the car, giving a slight wave to Makoto to tell her to calm down, and then gestured widely for Riku to lead the way. Riku led the way, opening the door, and then leading Skeren to another part of the house and through the garage door. He examined the bike, wheeled it outside and then came back into the garage.

Makoto closed her eyes, but left her ears alert for any sign of danger, and lightly dozed.

Skeren trailed along behind him in silence, her steps light as a cat. If he hadn't known she was there, he wouldn't have realized, and as it was, he could easily forget her presence. Riku gave her an unreadable look and then gestured for her to follow him into the kitchen. Skeren quirked her lips, knowing she was a walking puzzle, and glided after him. Talkative one moment, ghost the next, then quip... He'd never have known who she was in that restaurant.

"Jay, Skeren. Skeren, Jay." Riku introduced them. "How much do I owe ya for the bike?"

"It's free. Riku, you got some balls, my friend," Jay replied.

Skeren ran her attention over Jay consideringly, taking in his appearance. "Pleasure." Her voice was soft and ever so faintly amused.

Riku nodded and smirked a little. "Skeren, you and Makoto meet me back here in six hours."

Skeren stepped back once, and then turned. "Six hours it is then, maybe more. If you want to come to me instead, you are Rikol Jaimis, an assistant of mine. Ciao." She gave a wave over her shoulder and went out to the car.

Back to the pilots.

It was hours later when Trowa returned, and opened up a comm-link with both Duo and Wufei. He nodded in greeting. Duo peered into the comm. "Hiya! You interrupted!" It was clear from the look, though, that what he'd interrupted wasn't important.

"What did I interrupt?" Trowa asked.

"Talking about Fei-chan's sex life earlier."

"Another fight?" Trowa leaned back in his chair.

"I have no sex life, you lecherous dog," Wufei snarled before turning to Trowa. "No, a mere discussion. What were you up to?" Duo didn't even need to point out to Wufei it wasn't something to brag about.

"I met with Riku," Trowa said quietly, knowing that would get attention.

Duo blinked a few times. "Isn't that our bomber boy?"

Wufei's whole attention was on Trowa. "Riku?"

"That's right."

"Well? How do you know him, Barton?"

"He's my drug dealer." Trowa smiled and waited for that reaction. He didn't really mind telling Wufei... and if Duo gave him shit about it... Well...

"Drug..." Wufei froze, trying to process that information. "What?"

Duo blinked a few times then began to laugh. "I always knew that calm of yours wasn't natural!"

Trowa leaned forward, laughing a little, and grinned at both of them. "He sells me drugs, Chang."

"I know what a drug dealer does, Barton! Why are you using stimulants? It would take a lot for you to get a 'high', which would probably kill someone else."

Trowa rested his chin in one of his palms. "They aren't stimulants."

"It's not like he can't get the funds for it. 'Sides, I bet he takes downers, right, Trowa?"

Wufei just glared, waiting for the other to continue.

Trowa gave an amused shrug, letting them take that how they will. "I'm meeting with him again and his comrades in six hours. You two need to come. And only you two; leave Heero and Quatre out of this." Trowa's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Duo nodded immediately. "Can do!"

Fed up, Wufei muttered a "Fine," and shut off his link.

"Think I pissed him off?" Trowa quietly asked Duo.

Duo smirked. "I think you shocked him. Six hours? Long enough for a nap!"

"Aa. I'll send you the location." Trowa punched through a transmission.

Duo nodded. "Next time, do it in person. He might keel over." Duo paused midway to turning off the link. "Hey, Tro, why just us?"

"This guy's a drug dealer. Do you know how paranoid they are? If he has three people, we better have no more than three as well."

Duo nodded. "Figures, I've met that kind. Night, see you in a few hours." Trowa shut off the link and decided to also take a small nap.

Wufei didn't know what to make of the new information he had acquired, and decided that he should ask Duo. Hesitantly, he punched in the code to a link. "Maxwell?"

Duo blinked and keyed in, a tad surprised to see Wufei. "Wufei?" He was startled right into using the right name.

"Answer me this. Why would someone need to use drugs?"

"Because they need something to fill a gap." Duo quirked his lips. He knew these answers.

Wufei scowled, trying to think of something to say. "I still don't see the attraction. It's... false hope."

"No, it's not. It's false security. You can't really blame him for wanting security, can you?"

"Not entirely. But... there are other ways."

"Then, maybe you should talk to him about those ways. Don't look down on him for this, or he'll ignore you. That's just how it works. Other questions?" Duo rose back up into a bantering tone and gaze Wufei a suggestive look to break to break into the brief seriousness.

Wufei ignored the look. "How do you know?"

"I'm from L2." Duo's playfulness dropped a bit.

"So?" Wufei had been rather... sheltered before becoming a Gundam pilot, and hadn't paid attention to anything outside of his studies and his colony.

Duo stared over the comm for a moment. "L2 is the slums of the slums, Wufei. People there are too poor to even be whores. You'd starve to death. Violence and drugs are the norm. It's easy enough to learn how to deal with a druggie when you see some everyday. Anything else?"

"No." He almost shut off the comm, but then nodded to Duo and said, "Thank you," very quickly before turning it off to think. And boy, did he have a lot to think over.

Duo shook his head, releasing a sigh. "And that wasn't even getting into details. Now, to that nap..."

It wasn't that Trowa decided that drugs were what he needed to find some sort of peace within himself, but the very fact that Wufei couldn't find the appeal. Meditation had to be the best 'high' he'd ever felt. It was even better than finding some long forgotten classic that he could hide from the others... He... just couldn't see the actual why of the problem.

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Reservations For Sanity  
Authors: Skeren Dreamera, Makoto Sagara, and Bagelbunion  
Archive: www.fanfiction.net www.foreverfandom.net (under Makoto Sagara), www.mediaminer.org, www.gundam-wing-fanfiction.net, and www.nfiction.net, (under Skeren Dreamera) (any others... Good luck finding them)  
Category: AU, Shounen ai, Het, Action/Adventure  
Pairings: 41, 353, 26, R11, OCxOC, very subject to change  
Rating: R  
Contact: Skeren Dreamera: Mickeofasyahoo.com Makoto Sagara: SagaraMakotoaol.com Bagelbunion: Bagelbunioncox.net   
Spoilers: Yes, Romefeller in this chapter  
  
Warnings: shounen ai, shoujo ai, het, language, violence, OOC, AU timeline from Antarctica on, angst, crazy muses and authors, too little sleep?   
Disclaimers: All we own are our original characters and the story line. Everything else belongs to this hideously long list of companies with lots of lawyers who could get our pennies. So, seeing as how that's been said, please don't sue. Mako needs to save her money to move to Texas!! We sure as hell don't get any money off of this...Just have fun.   
Notes: More insanity... And, um, sleep deprivation.  
  
**Begin part three  
**  
Makoto begrudgingly woke up when Skeren came, and followed her out to her car. "Need more sleep..." she muttered, trying to straighten out her hair.  
  
Skeren peered over her shoulder at Makoto as she snuck her back out to the car. She knew people would be looking for her in an hour or so. "Let's just get there, okay? Then I can come back in introduce you."  
  
"Fine... but I'm goin' back t'sleep in the car." Her accent was stronger now that she was actually not awake, and she just shuffled along. "'Mind me to smack Riku when he gets back, darlin'." Skeren nodded a bit, trying not to laugh as she pushed her into the back seat and drove off, shaking her head in amusement. Makoto fell back asleep as the car started moving, and slept fairly well until it stopped. "Here 'ready, Sky?"  
  
"Yeah, we're here. Want me to go get him?" Skeren already had her door open and was peering back at Makoto.  
  
"Sure, 'teva." She was determined to sleep until the white haired man showed up anyway.  
  
Skeren laughed, getting out of her car. She then went up and knocked. He did say to be back in 6 hours. She was five minutes early. Riku's friend Jay answered the door. "Oh, you. What was your name again? Spleen?"  
  
"Keri. Now. I've come because Riku said to, so are you going to get him or are you going to let me in?" Skeren looked amused, having an air of immense patience.  
  
"Yeah, he's in the back." Jay gestured down a long hallway towards a door on the left.  
  
Makoto had a bad feeling, and crawled out of the car, shook her head, and walked up to the porch in record time. "'Ello pervert. Where's Riku?"  
  
"Hey gorgeous! He's in the back." Jay grinned at her. Skeren nodded, then turned to look at Makoto. That was unexpected...  
  
"Touch me, and I break in my new toy." Makoto continued to eye the man.  
  
Jay didn't look concerned. "Ooh, and what kind of toy would that be?"  
  
Skeren had to laugh, and she slipped in the door, an eye kept on Jay as she cleared the door for the Japanese woman. Makoto pulled out her new knife. "This kind, ya poof." She pushed past him and walked down the hall to the last room. "GET UP, YA JERK!" Riku was in the back, working on his new bike, a silver Kawasaki Ninja. He was wearing a tank top and the same pants since they last saw him.  
  
"Such a precious child she is!" Skeren winked at Jay, then spun, following after Makoto to where Riku was located.  
  
Riku looked up. "You're early ladies." He had already put all his old parts on his new bike, enhancing the engine to beyond street legal levels.  
  
Skeren stepped in, head shaking. "Five minutes early. Though we're about on time now. So, why are we here again?"  
  
"You're runnin' behind. I swear... I'm itchin' to stab him again." She glared at Riku and his new bike. "Got ya new toy ready?"  
  
"Yeah, it's ready. I just have to tighten this." Riku crouched down again for a last adjustment. "I was actually expecting you to be late."  
  
"Sky's never late. That's me." She sighed. "Ya know I got a bad feelin' about somethin' 'round here."  
  
Skeren shook her head with a soft laugh. "You're forgetting something, Riky boy. I'm in politics." She gave Makoto a fond look, though one of understanding.  
  
"Sorry about Jay. He did give me the bike." Riku shrugged a little as he got up and put the rest of his tools away. His hands were rather greasy.  
  
Makoto stepped back, avoiding getting grease on her boots and clothes. "Gah, ya know, I didn' even get a chance to change clothes... Jay's... He's an ass... I dunno why you deal with him."  
  
Skeren moved to Makoto and patted her shoulder. "That should be obvious. He has good merchandise."  
  
"He comes in rather handy at times." Riku motioned at the bike and grinned. "Just gimme a minute to get changed..." He left them in the yard and went back into the house.  
  
Makoto rolled her brown eyes and then turned to Skeren. "So, whatcha think?"  
  
"I still don't know why I'm here to possibly get in hot water to Treize. He seems like someone I can handle though." She peered after Riku consideringly.  
  
"Uh huh... Dun hurt that he's a hottie, now does it?" Makoto snickered. "'Sides, I'm sure Dorothy could sweet talk Mr. Khush into anything she wanted."  
  
Riku emerged again a few minutes later in the same ensemble as yesterday, black cotton sweater over white dress shirt with the cuffs and collars sticking out. "Ready?" He nodded at them.  
  
Skeren tilted her head and looked over at Makoto for a moment. "Now don't go underestimating that one." She then turned to Riku. "Certainly, where to?"  
  
"Is there somewhere I can change? I need to get outta these clothes, but I don't want the perv after me."  
  
"I was gonna suggest the house... but Jay's in there. Couple other guys too. Remember 'Steve'?" Riku smirked at her.  
  
"You can change in the car. Backseat again, for you. Just use the cloth to hide." Skeren cut them off, steering them both back to the vehicle.  
  
Makoto openly snarled. "Does he remember "Miki"?"  
  
Riku opened up a gate in the fence and wheeled his new bike out. "You can go remind him if you want." He said over his shoulder as he pushed the bike out.  
  
Skeren sighed. "Cease the bickering and lets just go, hmm?"  
  
Makoto thought about it, but then followed Riku outside the gate to Skeren's car, taking her jacket off in the meantime and tossing it to Skeren. "Hold that, Sky."  
  
"Pop your trunk Skeren, I left some of my weapons in there." Riku set his bike by the car.  
  
Skeren caught the jacket with a mildly perplexed expression, clearly questioning. Makoto then took her sword scabbard off, shoving it into her shoulder bag, and began looking around the huge thing. "I know I got some clean clothes in here..." she muttered.  
  
Skeren popped the trunk. She was dressed in a different outfit herself, white jacket, red shirt, and dark violet skater pants. She had a cap hiding her hair. Overall, she looked like a guy at the moment, amazingly, and none of her weapons were visible at the moment.  
  
Riku armed himself again, this time with four guns. He put his messenger bag over his shoulders. "Makoto. I need to go shopping again."  
  
Makoto hopped into the backseat of the car, and took off her hip boots, careful to avoid the daggers that were on the three inside pockets of them. She then pulled out a slightly longer skirt than her current one and switched as quick as she could. "You and me both. I can' believe I'm down to three sets of clothes again," she shouted to Riku, while ducking down to switch into a button-up, skin tight black sweater.  
  
"Then I need to make a withdrawal from my," Riku smirked, "account."  
  
Skeren glanced to Riku and had to smirk. "Why? Can't manage to get the toys that will last?"  
  
"I need some different kinds of toys," Riku said to Skeren.  
  
"So, what about your account? Need the card?" Makoto was already moving towards her pockets.  
  
"Not that one." Riku smirked again.  
  
"First! You need to tell me why I needed to meet you." Skeren eyed Riku.  
  
"I thought you wanted to meet with this Trowa guy?" Riku said as he turned to Skeren.  
  
"Then you need the other thing," Makoto said, slipping out the dagger from the night before and setting it on the bench beside her while putting her boots back on.  
  
"That's the one," Riku agreed. As if on cue, Riku's pager went off.  
  
"Is that what this is over?" Skeren immediately perked up. "Good, good, everyone get into the vehicles we're taking so we can go. I assume that's him?"  
  
Riku looked at his pager and nodded. "Yep."  
  
Makoto got out of the car, feeling nearly human as she tossed Riku both the knife and her cell phone. "Call him," she said, starting to undo her hair.  
  
Skeren grinned a little as Makoto tended herself, trying not to laugh. She'd already done all that. The gundam pilots would likely figure out she was a girl, but there was always a chance she couldn't be identified.  
  
Riku pulled out his phone and dialed as he got on his bike. "Trowa." Riku said into the phone. "I'll be there in 20." Pause. "Yes." Pause. Then Riku hung up the phone.  
  
"What?" Makoto said cheekily, winking at Skeren. "A girl's gotta look her best when meeting the infamous Gundam pilots."  
  
He tossed Makoto back her phone. "I found my phone. Follow me," he said as he started the engine. "Makoto, you riding with Skeren?"  
  
Makoto snatched the phone out of the air and shoved it in the back pocket of her skirt. She looked at Skeren. "Yes... Not scarin' me to death today..."  
  
"At least not with the bike." Riku grinned and took off.  
  
"Well, Mako chan, into the car." Skeren got into the drivers seat, her voice low. So that's how she pulled it off with the guy thing. She could drop her voice!  
  
Mako hopped in the passenger side, and stretched out. "You act more and more like a guy every time I see you, suga'."  
  
"Don't I? You missed seeing me feminine when Riku tried to blow me up. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not easily recognized." Skeren started the car, waiting for Riku to start out.  
  
"What? No pictures? I'm depressed now... Think I should be more... demure when we meet? I've been told that I'm a bit... extreme," Makoto said with a snort. Riku was waiting for them to catch up at the stop sign ahead.  
  
"Don't bother. From what I understand I'd be good friends with them. Treize was singing their praises all evening." Skeren chuckled a bit. Skeren followed Riku easily; she'd lost enough tails to know how to be one.  
  
"Good. I hate bein' demure..." Makoto strapped her sword back on and slipped her jean jacket over it. "Much better."  
  
"You taking the one I gave you too? I have my toys on me. I bet you still have no idea how I hide them." Skeren glanced to her then back to Riku so she wouldn't lose him.  
  
Riku led them through the small city towards the edge of the town where a small nature preserve was located. He parked his bike and waited for the girls to catch up. He drove less crazy this time, but still wanted to test out his bike's speed  
  
"Ooooh, thanks for 'mindin' me," she said, shifting through some of the tiny pockets on the inside of her bag. "Gotcha some toys." She held out some of the throwing stars.  
  
Skeren pulled to a stop by Riku's bike and took the stars, rolling them between her fingers on one hand as she studied them without pricking herself. "Surgical Steel. Good taste. Thanks." Then she put them away.... Somewhere.  
  
"Thought ya'd like those.... And I got my new toy right here." Makoto patted her skirt. "Inside pocket. 'Specially made."  
  
Riku rolled his eyes. "Women." he scoffed.  
  
Makoto stepped out of the car, picking up her bag and slipping it on her shoulder as she walked over to Riku's bike. "Got a problem, otoko?"  
  
Skeren got out of the car, locking her door. "Really, hmm?" She then moved to Riku as she glanced around, her voice softer, but her own instead of a male's. "Hey, don't sound so scornful."  
  
Riku sighed. "C'mon, we're meeting them up there." Riku pointed over a small hill and led the way.  
  
Skeren fell into step just behind him, her fingers reaching up to straighten her dark red hat. It was curious how she looked good when she didn't match worth a damn at the moment.  
  
"Hills..." Makoto sighed and picked up her skirt, rolling it to mid-thigh. "'Right, let's go." She started in the direction he'd pointed out.  
  
Duo bounced on his heels a little, standing around while he waited for those people to show up. He never had gotten around to asking why they were meeting them.  
  
Riku and Trowa greeted each other with a small handshake as the hill leveled out into a flat area. "Always nice to see you again," Trowa said with a small smile.  
  
Wufei just looked over the three newcomers and scoffed. "They brought a woman."  
  
Makoto sneered. "Ya got a problem with me, China boy?"  
  
Skeren glanced over each of the boys; her lips twitching a little as she saw the two with Trowa. Well, if those two weren't signs that said 'gundam pilots here' she didn't know what was.  
  
"These are my colleagues, Makoto, and Skeren." Riku nodded at the women.  
  
Skeren tilted her head, allowing a smirk to cross her face. "Careful about Makoto. She's liable to decapitate people when annoyed."  
  
"Delighted," Makoto crooned, still glaring at the Chinese boy, and resisting the urge to grab her new knife. "I'm sure."  
  
Trowa nodded at each of them, his eyes lingering on Skeren. He couldn't tell whether Skeren was a 'he' or 'she' although Makoto was definitely female. 'I don't think I've ever seen boobs that big!'  
  
"Chang Wufei," Wufei said, not bothering to look at two suspicious characters with the white haired man, Riku.  
  
Duo ran his gaze over each of the new people, and then moved forward. "Hiya! Duo Maxwell here." He offered his hand to Skeren first. Time to determine gender.  
  
Makoto leaned over to whisper in Riku's ear. "The braided one's bouncy. I think I like him." Riku nodded, keeping a cold expression. He was always leery of strangers.  
  
"Pleased to meet you." Skeren returned the shake firmly, letting her amusement show over their attention to her ambiguous gender. "You know, people never just ask."  
  
Duo grinned, releasing her hand before moving across to Makoto and offering her his hand. "Hey, I know better than to ask those questions."  
  
Makoto snorted. "I never had to..." She shot a look at Wufei. "Do you just scowl, or do you talk too?" She took the braided boy's hand. "You're from L2, ain't ya? I can tell... You got that... look in your eyes."  
  
"Yeah." Duo glanced to Wufei, and then back to Makoto with a grin. "Hey, don't mind him. He's just upset we're meeting Tro's drug dealer."  
  
"Who do you work for?" Riku asked, addressing Duo and Wufei, getting straight to the point.  
  
Skeren immediately turned to eye Riku incredulously, mouthing the words 'drug dealer?' Riku lifted one shoulder at her, before turning back to Duo and Wufei.  
  
Duo moved back from the other three, giving Riku an annoyed look. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Ahh, he's on a those self-righteous pricks, ne?" Makoto snorted at Skeren's reaction. "Side business... I've had to do it too."  
  
"It means, 'Who do you work for'?" Riku asked again.  
  
Wufei's hackles went up. "I work for the peace of my colony. Nothing more; nothing less. Why did I agree to come here?"  
  
Skeren shook her head a bit with a mock groan. "I knew there was a reason I'm the talker here. Riku, kindly shut up."  
  
"Don't tell me what to do," Riku replied with a side-glance in her direction.  
  
Makoto burst into a huge laugh. "Oooh, I needed that... Too many serious people around me."  
  
"I'll tell you what to do when I'm the one in charge. You still owe me for that bomb, boyo." She then glanced to the boys. "I'm trying to win a few enemies of yours over to your cause, interested?"  
  
Riku rolled his eyes. "I was trying to kill Khushrenada. Your death would have been an acceptable loss."  
  
Makoto grabbed one of Riku's arms. "Down boy. And no killin' Khush... I still haven't met him yet."  
  
Riku gave her a look. "Better hurry up then."  
  
"No, my death would have meant the Alliance would have won this Goddess damned war. I'm too important for you to casually off!" Skeren turned her full attention to Riku with a glare. "And you are not going to go killing him off when I have him about convinced to side with these guys!" She gestured at the Gundam pilots.  
  
A set of eyes made Makoto feel hostile, and she held up one finger to Riku, letting him know that she didn't trust one of the newcomers. "Then you better hurry up and do it." Riku replied his mouth set in a thin line. "I don't have time for politics." He gave Makoto a look of acknowledgement and made another gesture. 'Which one?' he asked.  
  
Skeren caught the interaction and frowned, looking to Makoto immediately and flicking her sleeve meaning 'something wrong?'. Then she set back into Riku. "Politics are the end all be all of war. They start it, and they end it! So don't you go telling me you don't have time, because otherwise, I might decide that you are expendable!"  
  
Makoto flicked her glance at the Chinese boy, biting her lower lip. 'Too unpredictable.' Makoto then signaled to Skeren with her balled up fist. 'Hostile. Not predictable.'  
  
"People who express their importance are usually the ones that are most expendable," Riku replied. He looked Wufei over and gestured to Makoto in agreement.  
  
Duo saw the flurry of silent talk, not sure what it meant, but between the yelling and the glances, he had an idea. Wufei watched everyone around him. "You are saying that you are trying to convince us to side with Khushrenada?" He glared at the one in the hat.  
  
Skeren let out a breath. "You don't get it. Nobody knows I'm the one pulling the strings; therefore I don't express my importance. Get it?" Skeren then rounded on Wufei as she heard him speak. "No, I'm trying to get him to side with you, and he's really considering it too, but he's concerned one of them will off him on sight. You, I take it?" She had no qualms transferring her anger from one Asian to the other.  
  
"Okay, everybody step back. Riku, down, so we can talk. Sky, chill a sec. China boy, shut up," Makoto said, glaring at the last one.  
  
Duo stepped forward, arms out to his sides as he got between the two currently trying to glare each other down. "Deep breaths people, eh?"  
  
Riku tapped his chest in another silent gesture to Makoto. Makoto quirked an eyebrow. 'What?'  
  
Riku shook his head. 'Later' he mouthed. He turned his eyes back on the Gundam pilots, watching them. He wondered how well they were armed.  
  
Duo turned, making sure he could see the fuming woman and Wufei both. "Hear me? Deep breaths. In and out."  
  
"Who are you speaking to?" Makoto looked at the braided teen and smiled sweetly. "I'm good. Just trying to keep your friend from boring holes in my head with his beady little eyes."  
  
"Won't work, he does it to me all the time. Besides, you're a girl; it's automatic for him. Now, Wufei, stand down already here! And you, Skeren lady, calm down."  
  
Throughout all of this, Trowa was pretty quiet; still a tad unnerved at introducing his fellow pilots to his 'drug dealer', who also happened to be a rebel with a rap sheet ten miles long.  
  
Makoto smiled widely. "I haven't been a girl for a long time, darlin'. Not since I left Texas.... And whatever his problem is, he can shove it, or I'll do it for him."  
  
Skeren exhaled a bit. "I'm calm. I'm terribly sorry about that, I can usually keep my head better, but nobody is allowed to belittle what I do." She sent another glare at Wufei then turned to Riku. Then she smiled. "I just have a temper at times." To which Riku snorted.  
  
Wufei's hand twitched towards his sword's hilt as both women spoke, and he suddenly turned his back and walked down the other side of the hill.  
  
"Why'd you bring him?" Riku asked Trowa.  
  
"I trust him." That was all Trowa used to reply.  
  
Skeren caught the movement, but simply drew herself up. "Doesn't any male with Asian blood know it's an insult to belittle a lady?" She released a sigh after the low comment, and then turned to the two remaining pilots.  
  
"Oh, I do," Makoto drawled, smiling.  
  
Duo grinned at them both. "I think she meant guys, if I heard correctly. So, who set up this meeting anyway?"  
  
"I did," Trowa said.  
  
"Why?" This was from Makoto.  
  
"Duo, you mentioned something about a white haired dude, and I thought you'd like to meet. Riku's the one who blew up that building. And broke into that weapons facility downtown, and conveniently left the door open for us," Trowa replied, smiling a tad.  
  
"Aww, our work was appreciated, Riku," Makoto said with a vague hint of amusement, though her face was deadly serious.  
  
"He also," Trowa looked at Riku. "Set that base in Australia on fire."  
  
Duo laughed a bit, flashing Riku a grin. "I see then. Considering it seems like the miss over here knows who we are, maybe we should have a talk?" Riku nodded.  
  
"Which Miss?" Makoto asked.  
  
Duo pointed at Skeren. "That one."  
  
Skeren cleared her throat as the moment of silence drew out. "Yes, I do. So, are you two willing to hear what I'm trying to do?" Trowa nodded. She waited until Duo also nodded and smiled. "Alright. Due to recent political turns, Treize is backed into a corner. He is starting to see the corner. I've gotten him to the point where he will safely meet with you guys if his life won't be in imminent danger by doing so. He's seriously considering joining up with you guys, from what I can tell. He isn't stupid, and I know Dorothy talked to him last evening, and she is a supporter of mine for this plan. Would you guys be willing to talk to him if I can arrange a meeting? His main four, and the five of you, with me and my own group, meaning Relena, Dorothy, Makoto, and Riku, as mediators." Skeren fell silent, and waited.  
  
Wufei had finally rejoined the group as Skeren had started to speak, ignoring the presence of the over-developed woman, and listening. Wufei looked at the woman, and began to think. "How does he think he could help our cause?"  
  
Trowa was also silent, thinking about the prospect. He couldn't say he was comfortable with it. But it didn't surprise him that Treize was considering leaving. It was one of their goals after all. Oust Treize from power. It wasn't how he expected it, but it would work.  
  
Skeren let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding as she heard Duo speak up as well. "What do you mean by him being backed into a corner?"  
  
"Romefeller," Makoto spat, feeling sick already.  
  
"That reminds me, Makoto. 0200 hours," Riku said, speaking a code he knew Makoto would understand.  
  
Skeren nodded, answering the questions in the order they had been asked, meaning she started with Wufei's. "He has his own followers. Not all of OZ is unified. There are those there to fight for peace and honor that would follow Treize were he to leave OZ, just as there are those within that are out for revenge that would stay enemies. As she said, Romefeller." Skeren looked to Duo. "It's an old, corrupted group that works from behind the scenes, and often manages to step in with whatever group is in favor, taking it over, and destroying the reason the group existed in the first place. They've already gotten in deep with OZ, and are putting serious efforts into taking Treize out of the picture."  
  
Makoto looked at her companion. "0200," she mouthed. Riku nodded curtly back before looking at Skeren.  
  
Skeren turned her gaze to Riku as she caught the movement, and then looked back to the boys. "So, are you willing to let me set this up? I'm on your side in this war, but I'm helping you in some rather unique ways. I'm trying to unify you with those people in OZ that are actually worth being allied with."  
  
"Ah, so our enemies are worse than Khushrenada," Wufei said. "You have my attention."  
  
Skeren quirked her lips, looking to Wufei. "Romefeller is worse than OZ ever could be."  
  
"They are in OZ," Riku pointed out. "I doubt they'd make good allies."  
  
Makoto snorted. "Nah, I heard a few are salvageable..."  
  
"I also know secrets about the ranking people in OZ that you do not, and that seriously change things. You kill those four top officers off, and you are killing allies that we direly need. And don't go after Zechs either. The princess would break off her alliance with me if my associates killed him." Riku crossed his arms but said nothing.  
  
"Besides, it's a waste to kill somethin' that pretty." This caused Riku to roll his eyes at Makoto.  
  
Duo eyed Skeren. "Okay, another question. Why would Miss Relena break off her alliance with you over him?"  
  
"Jealous?" she asked, snickering before winking at Duo and Skeren. Duo grinned at Makoto immediately.  
  
Skeren rubbed her eyes. "Well, what I say doesn't get shared if I tell you. Can you all do that?"  
  
"Are you saying that we would dishonor our verbal agreement?" Wufei asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"No, but you haven't made any yet, now have you?" Skeren's voice was rather pointed. "Keep this one thing a secret, alright?"  
  
Duo nodded after a long moment of thought. "Okay, but only if we can tell our teammates."  
  
"As long as you don't tell them exactly how I know Riku," Trowa said with a small smile.  
  
"Yes, it will be hard to convince Yuy and Winner without a bit more information," Wufei said, listening intently now.  
  
"I don't even know exactly how you know Riku. He tried to kill me, remember? We're not exactly good friends. Now the punching princess... Entirely different matter. No killing Zechs because Relena doesn't want me killing off her brother. Especially not when she just discovered the relation, even with all his precautions against that happening."  
  
Trowa looked at Riku. "You tried to kill her?"  
  
Skeren turned a glare on Riku. "Yeah, he did. I was that unnamed politician with Treize."  
  
"Not specifically her," Riku replied with a little glare in Skeren's direction.  
  
"I need to get a better leash," Makoto said.  
  
"Although I'm reconsidering it," Riku replied, turning back to Trowa, only half joking.  
  
"Try a straightjacket next time! That just about ruined a good dinner. I was considering taking you there, Makoto, but the building went boom."  
  
Makoto pouted. "Good vegan food?"  
  
Duo was frowning a little. Was he the only one questioning the subcontext in the conversation? "Now, you weren't referring to Miss Relena as the punching princess, were you?"  
  
"No food you'd want to eat, Makoto," Riku said.  
  
Makoto snickered. "You know any other princesses?"  
  
Duo looked perplexed. "Why would you call her that?"  
  
Skeren took off her hat, showing her blue hair, and pushed her hair out of the way to show the scar. "She gave me that with one of her punches. Sure taught me not to butt into one of her fistfights."  
  
Wufei snorted. "Fistfight?"  
  
"With Dorothy Catalonia. It's how I met her a year ago. They were arguing whether or not violence could solve anything." She put her hat back on. She absolutely adored telling this story.  
  
Duo was sniggering, a huge grin on her face. "I can tease her about it, can't I?"  
  
Wufei nodded, respecting the princess a little more now. "Alright..."  
  
Skeren shrugged. "Don't see why not. So, are you people willing to do that meeting?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Trowa shrugged, complying non-verbally.  
  
Duo nodded as well. "We'll convince the other two." Duo dug into a pocket and pulled a paper and pen, bending his knee to jot something down and handing it to Skeren. "That's how you can contact us. It's an e-mail account I made that can't be traced to where I am. So don't try. Buzz that when you have a few more details for us, okay?"  
  
Makoto pulled out a card and handed it to the braided boy. "You can reach me, Sky and Riku through that. Don't worry about taps," she said with a cold smile. "Till next time, boys." She turned and headed down the hill. Riku followed. He and Mako had work to do, and Trowa knew how to contact him if he needed to.  
  
"Sword?" Mako asked as she walked, knowing the presence behind her.  
  
"What about it?" Riku didn't seem inclined to get the hint.  
  
"Do I get to use it?" She felt that cold smile again.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Riku smiled as he fell into step beside her.  
  
Skeren grinned at the three, the last to go. "See you soon boys." She paused, taking out her own card and handing it to Duo. "Feel free to call that. It's my own number, or to drop in on the base I'm stuck at. Just don't get caught. See you." Then, she took off after the other two, leaving Duo to look at the card.  
  
Duo immediately turned to look at Trowa. "You have a really interesting drug dealer."  
  
Wufei scoffed. "His woman is not acceptable."  
  
Trowa nodded. "That's really the first time we've talked... save for a short conversation a few hours ago."  
  
Duo looked over to Wufei with a little amusement. "You said Woman instead of Women. Does that mean Skeren, the one you stopped glaring at, is acceptable? Or did you mean Makoto?"  
  
"The loud mouth, big-breasted, half-Japanese spawn," Wufei snarled, going to find his way back to his Gundam.  
  
"I guess that means he liked the other one." Duo grinned at Trowa then took off after Wufei. "Any clue where our other teammates took off to?" Trowa followed Wufei and Duo back to his own Gundam  
  
The base where our OZ members were.  
  
Treize straightened his jacket and the cravat around his neck, before then smoothing back his hair. He proceeded down the halls to greet his guests, seconds later only to stop before the door and knock, waiting for an answer.  
  
There was murmuring on the other side, before Dorothy pulled it open, moving back to let him in after blinking a few times. She was a bit sleepy still. "Good morning, cousin."  
  
"Good morning, cousin. Did you sleep well after our conversation?" Treize looked over at the bed to see Relena still sleeping. "I see that the princess will awake later. Perhaps a kiss should awaken her?" He winked.  
  
Dorothy laughed a bit then. "I don't know about that. She might just slug whoever tried, and then roll over. But, aside from that, why don't you come in? It seems our other room occupant decided to do some errands." She waved the paper.  
  
"She's not in? Did she say where she was going?" Treize was not feeling good about Skeren being gone this early in the morning.  
  
Dorothy shook her head, handing him the note. All it said was this: "Had some urgent business to tend to. Just have to step out and cover the errands and I should be back soon. Skeren."  
  
"Errands," he said out loud, and then scowled. "Well, then, I suppose I shall wait for her to come back. Shall I have breakfast sent to you and Relena, or would you like to join me in my office for the morning meal?"  
  
Dorothy glanced over her shoulder to where Relena was crawling from the bed as she spoke, knowing the answer that Relena would give. "Your office. I hate eating in my bedroom."  
  
"Well, I will meet you there then. I will make sure something light will be available. Coffee as well," he said, giving Dorothy a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Morning." He left, wondering where the hell the other girl was.  
  
Dorothy blinked, not expecting the show of affection, and then went to get changed from the bags they brought so she could meet Treize in his office with Relena.  
  
When Treize arrived in his office, he made sure that his assistant was getting breakfast, and then called Zechs' room. "Zechs?"  
  
"Yes, Treize?" Zechs sounded none to pleased to get called in his room already that morning. He was hoping for at least another hour of solitude.  
  
"Dalren is gone," Treize elaborated to the man on the other end.  
  
"What? Where is she?" Zechs decided that perhaps sleep could wait.  
  
"That I'd like to know. Contact the front guards. I want to know exactly when she arrives back on base."  
  
"Yes sir." Zechs then hung up to follow the orders.  
  
A minute later the two girls slipped into his office in fresh clothes.  
  
"Ah, good morning, ladies. Might I say that you look lovely?" Treize smiled, looking up at his visitors. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
Dorothy and Relena each took a seat. "I slept wonderfully."  
  
Skeren drove in past the gate, having made sure that Riku was in her car after they dropped his bike off somewhere safe. She wasn't going to have him being the loose cannon after all her hard work. Of course, by the time she reached the base, he'd somehow fled the vehicle.  
  
A call broke through the conversation. "Excuse me?" Treize picked up the phone. "Yes?" Pause. "Good." Pause, scowl. "Thank you." He hung up and looked at his guests. "It seems as though Skeren is back."  
  
Dorothy looked over to Relena. "I just bet you did." Then she looked back to Treize. "She is?"  
  
"Yes. Would you like to join me in finding her?" He stood and waited for their answer.  
  
Dorothy considered a moment then nodded, Relena a second after her. "Certainly. Don't you want to give her a chance to come to you though?"  
  
"Never. Come," Treize said, offering both arms to the young women and heading down to the main corridor of the base, finding Skeren, and another woman, standing in front of the doors.  
  
Skeren blinked a few times as she glanced up and saw Relena and Dorothy flanking Treize. "Didn't expect that." She tugged Makoto forward, moving up to Treize with a smile. "Good morning."  
  
"Good morning, Ms. Dalren. May I ask who your lovely companion is?" He gave the other woman a courteous smile.  
  
Skeren grinned, subtly steering them all back towards Treize's office. "Makoto Yuzuki, a friend of mine. Makoto, Treize Khushrenada, Dorothy Catalonia, and Relena Darlian-Peacecraft." She gestured to each in turn.  
  
"Delighted," she murmured, smiling brightly at the nobles before her. "I am so glad to finally meet you, General Khushrenada."  
  
Dorothy nodded to Makoto. "Well met."  
  
As Relena added her own, "A pleasure."  
  
Treize took in the Japanese woman's attire: black leather boots that disappeared under her knee-length black jean skirt, her tight black knit sweater, and her black jean jacket with the hint of a sword's scabbard showing. "You seem to be well armed, Ms. Yuzuki. May I ask how you got past my guards?"  
  
Makoto smiled and nodded to the ladies at Treize's side. "There's never been a man that I couldn't bat my eyelashes at and get away with murder," she said sweetly.  
  
Skeren closed her eyes briefly to avoid rekindling her temper and they all found themselves back in Treize's office a few moments later as she closed the door behind them. "I knew I shouldn't have let you sleep."  
  
"So it would seem," Treize said, extending one hand to the newcomer. "It is nice to meet you."  
  
"As it is you, General Khushrenada."  
  
"I insist that you call me Treize."  
  
"Well, Treize, I wantcha to call me Makoto. And, Sky, darlin' if you hadn't, they'd be picking you up with a dust buster."  
  
"Even you aren't good enough to catch me, Mako I thought you knew that by now." She glanced over, noticing the food that had arrived while they were gone as she moved to it, picking up a muffin as she removed her cap and shoved it in a pocket.  
  
"Dun have to catch ya to getcha," Makoto said with a sly wink.  
  
"Where are you from, Makoto?"  
  
"Small town in what used to be Texas. Tyler." Makoto picked up a glass of orange juice. "This organic?"  
  
Skeren rolled her eyes as she heard that. "Just drink the damn stuff. I doubt they snuck a cow in there."  
  
"As far as I'm aware, the orange juice is freshly squeezed," Treize replied, lifting an eyebrow. "Are you vegetarian?"  
  
"Vegan. If it comes from an animal, I won't eat it."  
  
Dorothy looked over to Skeren, a bit shocked at the vulgar language from Skeren. Usually, she was so polite around her. Relena stood in a similar state.  
  
Makoto laughed at the looks on the other girls' faces. "Oh, dun mind Sky. She only talks properly to people like y'all. When it comes to me, she's very earthy." She snorted at her own joke.  
  
Skeren laughed quietly. "One way of putting it. Now, this morning... I never thought I'd get to yell at a Gundam pilot." This was her icebreaker into the topic.  
  
"Gundam pilot?" Treize asked, looking seriously at the woman. "Which one?"  
  
"Wufei, I do believe he called himself. He kept cutting me off, so I yelled at him." She smirked, more than a little pleased with herself.  
  
Makoto scowled. "That little Chinese pilot, while cute, has a mouth I'd like to fix," she snarled.  
  
"You're just mad that I got him to respect me and he called you spawn." Skeren grinned, trying not to laugh.  
  
"You met Chang?" Treize said, looking at both women. "Who else was there?"  
  
"Well, at least he has eyes in his beady little head." Makoto's voice got no friendlier.  
  
"Oh, some spunky kid with a braid, Duo.... And this one kid with this funky bang... What did he say his name was, Sky?"  
  
Skeren laughed a bit. "They've agreed to meeting all of us in this room and a few others. Duo Maxwell and one called Trowa Barton were there. From what I understand he set it all up with the man I would like to strangle! I can't believe he escaped on the way here..." She trailed off into a mutter.  
  
Makoto laughed. "Told you. Riku's not comin' on no OZ base... 'Specially not since he likes blowin' all things Ozzie to high hell."  
  
Skeren just scowled. "He's the one that got me yelling in the first place, you know. I can't believe he said I was expendable, the little prick!" Skeren huffed a bit then, giving a sheepish look to the other three.  
  
"Ah, that just means he likes ya.... Trust me, he tells me the same thing, even when he tells me to take control of his God forsaken bikes."  
  
Skeren gave her an odd look, opened her mouth to ask, and then shook her head. "No. I don't want to know." She quickly ate her muffin, watching the other two noble girls get food. "But, I got Wufei to agree you don't need to be killed on sight."  
  
"No, ya'd live longer not knowin'." Makoto turned to Treize. "So, did you have fun with Sky last night? I'm the one who called and interrupted ya before." She winked.  
  
"The conversation was most... stimulating," was Treize's droll reply.  
  
"Heh, I could give a... I couldn't care whether or not he likes me. He's lucky he's not eating his little toy sword right now." Makoto had to stop herself before she said something too vulgar.  
  
Skeren moved to a seat, watching the pair still standing. "Actually, much as he seems to dislike you, I was talking to Treize."  
  
Treize laughed as the Japanese woman blushed. "Really now? The Dragon dislikes a lady... Well, Skeren, how did you manage that, I might ask."  
  
"Simple. I pointed out the current situation to them, and they agreed that there were worse things than meeting with you for a truce if you are willing to join up with their portion of the fight due to Romefeller." Skeren, of course, didn't realize that that didn't sound simple at all.  
  
Treize thought about what she said. "Cousin, you were right about her. Congratulations, Ms. Dalren, you have my full trust."  
  
Skeren smiled brightly. "I'm glad. Oh! Mako, darling, tell him about that little girl you heard about!"  
  
"Oh, good thin' you reminded me. Anyway, seems that Dekim's cartin' around this gem of a little girl. 'Bout six or so, I've heard. They say she's his daughter's only child."  
  
"Daughter?" Treize choked out, feeling a bit lightheaded all of a sudden. "Did I hear you correctly?"  
  
Skeren got up immediately, moving to the taller figure and steering him into the chair. "Yes. That's what I heard too." Dorothy and Relena wisely remained silent.  
  
"What? Did I stutter or switch to Japanese again?" Makoto looked at Skeren. "Yes, his daughter's daughter. Red hair. Blue eyes. Cute as a button. I can pay more for a picture, if ya want."  
  
"I think he's in shock here." Skeren picked up a paper from his desk and fanned him with it. "Breath, man!"  
  
Treize took a deep breath, picked up a glass of juice, drained the cup, and then looked at everyone. "I'm fine now, thank you." He thought over the current situation. "A picture you say? How much?" Skeren put the paper down, looking at him dubiously before she settled onto the edge of his desk.  
  
"Guess shouldn't cost more than... Three million, due to who her ojiisan is... When do ya want it?"  
  
"As soon as possible."  
  
"Okay, gotta make a few calls. Privately."  
  
"Do you need my phone? It's a more secure line than yours last I checked." Skeren was already digging around in her numerous pockets. They clanked.  
  
Makoto left the room, reaching in her back skirt pocket for her phone, and dialed a familiar number when she was sure she was alone.  
  
She shook her head as Makoto left the room. "Guess not. I swear if I'm missing anything though..." She kept digging for her phone. More sounds of metal on metal. She didn't sound like that when she walked at all.  
  
Makoto came back in smiling. "Nah, darlin', I'm good. Riku decided to play around with my phone the other night. That's why I used his last night." She looked at Treize. "It's a gift." She winked as she sat down.  
  
Skeren nodded a bit then moved around the desk, clearing a space before starting to empty her pockets. "That's good, because I can't find my phone."  
  
Treize raised an eyebrow at Dorothy. "You've been rather non-vocal this whole time, cousin. Care to share what you are thinking?"  
  
Here came the interesting part. In the pile, she ended up with: Keys, a kit of some sort, two guns, a five point set of throwing stars, a four point set, a six point set, throwing knives, a Swiss army knife, ammo, matches, three zippos, an unidentifiable explosive, a set of binoculars, a few needles, aspirin, and her wallet. "No Phone."  
  
"Your car?" Makoto tried to suggest a place she might leave it.  
  
Dorothy pointed over to the desk. "I'm watching her. She tends to talk more than I do in these instances." She looked at the pile. "How did you fit all that in your pockets?"  
  
"No. I wouldn't leave it in my car. It was never off me. I bet that little mediator decided to borrow it." Skeren was ever so tempted to frown, but refrained.  
  
"Who? Riku? Doubt it." Makoto just shook her head.  
  
"No, Duo. When I wasn't looking." Skeren eyed the pile. It was a big pile for the fact that she looked like she wasn't wearing all that.  
  
Treize eyed the large pile. "I think a few of those things are... a little less than legal, Skeren."  
  
Makoto shoved her phone at Skeren. "Number 5," she said without a hint of her accent. "Call and see if the boy has it."  
  
Skeren looked over the pile then back to him. She then immediately pocketed the explosives, needles, picks, guns, and ammo. "Nothing that's on the desk." She picked up one of the star sets before saying that. They were black gundanium. Skeren stuck the stars in a pocket before taking the phone and hitting the speed dial. She then put it to her ear as she headed through the more legal objects.  
  
"Cell phone of doom speaking. May I take your order?" This was the reply she heard as the other end was answered.  
  
"It is not a phone of doom. Why did you take my phone?" Skeren picked up one of the stars and passed it to Treize so he could look at the shaped gundanium.  
  
Treize eyed the star in his hand. "Excellent workmanship. Rather difficult to find. I suppose it cost a small fortune to have them made?"  
  
"It was a good idea at the time. Think of it this way; this is my way of making it so that I have to come visit you later today. Ciao." Then, Duo disconnected the line.  
  
Makoto laughed having heard Skeren's reply, leaving that as enough to figure out who it was. "Awww, you got pilfered by the cute one. And no, those were a gift from me."  
  
"And where did you get them from?" Treize asked, eyeing her carefully.  
  
"I have my ways," Makoto said in that accent-less voice again, feeling irritated for some strange reason.  
  
Skeren turned off the phone and looked back to Treize. "You'll be having a visitor later to return my stolen item." Skeren leaned over showing him a couple of the others from different sets, the surgical steel from that day, and a set of white gundanium. "She and I get each other this stuff all the time. Never learned what it cost." She handed him the others to compare. Skeren had to grin. "Why, would you like a gundanium weapon?"  
  
"Sky, I need to go lay down. Now." Makoto cut across the conversation.  
  
Treize snorted. "No, I think I'll stay with my rapier and mobile suits, thank you."  
  
Skeren pushed up from the desk, leaving the three stars with Treize as she steered Makoto towards her room. "I'll be back in a moment."  
  
Dorothy reached over, picking up one of the stars consideringly. "If you won't, I might take her up on that."  
  
When they were far enough away, Makoto looked at Skeren. "There were others there at that damned meeting!" Skeren looked to Makoto, and then gestured for her to explain. "Remember how I told you I had a bad feeling? Well, China boy came back a little too calm. Shimatta! Baka! It took me this long to realize it. There was someone else there!"  
  
"Do you think he might have gotten another of the pilots?"  
  
"Had to have been. I would have noticed anyone else. I'm not that dense... No matter what I project. I need to call Riku, NOW! Know any really secure places?"  
  
"We just left it and it's occupied at the moment. It's almost the only place on the base that isn't bugged. I try with my room, but someone keeps rigging it."  
  
"Your car?" Skeren nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way.  
  
Makoto strolled casually out of the base to the black car, and waited for the alarm to be turned off. When they were, she slid in the back seat, hit the speed dial, and waited for the man to pick up. "C'mon you paranoid fuck. Answer!"  
  
After two rings, Riku answered. "Yeah?"  
  
"Your friend was followed," Makoto hissed. "Probably by those two missing pilots."  
  
There was a pause before Riku replied. "I know."  
  
"NANI? Why didn't you say anything before now? I'm gonna strangle you one of these days, or let Sky do it now."  
  
"I had other things to worry about," Riku replied.  
  
Skeren let out a breath and took the phone from Makoto. "Sorry bout that, she kinda flipped. We aren't dead, so it doesn't matter, correct?"  
  
"Well, while you were worrying about those, we could have been GREAT target practice for a few pilots." Makoto was leaning over to be able to listen in.  
  
"No, we weren't. They'd have to picked Trowa off if they wanted to get me." Riku's tone was flat as he spoke, as though this were clear to all, and old news as well.  
  
"No, it does matter, because I'm not playing with people like that," Makoto continued.  
  
Skeren reached out to make Makoto meet her eyes. "They didn't hurt us, because they had no reason to. They would have taken us down if they didn't want to play nice."  
  
Riku spoke up again. "I wouldn't worry about it. You can defend yourself."  
  
"Oh, but you better bet I'm gonna say something the next time I see them. And you bet your sweet ass I can." Makoto was glaring into the air.  
  
There was a snort of laughter over the phone line. "I don't doubt you will. Anyway, we have a job."  
  
Skeren let out a breath and relinquished the phone back to Makoto fully again. "If he dares go after any of my four with that job, then no mercy."  
  
Makoto took the phone back. "Specs?"  
  
Skeren watched Makoto talk, just knowing that she had to get back.  
  
Makoto waved a knowing hand at Skeren. She mouthed the words 'Go back. I'll at least say good bye before I go.'  
  
To be continued. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Reservations For Sanity   
**Authors:** Skeren Dreamera, Makoto Sagara, and Bagelbunion   
**Archive:** www.fanfiction.net, www.foreverfandom.net (under Makoto Sagara) www.gundam-wing-fanfiction.net, www.mediaminer.org, and www.nfiction.net, (under Skeren Dreamera) (any others… Good luck finding them)   
**Category:** AU, Shounen ai, Het, Action/Adventure   
**Rating:** R   
  
**Spoilers:** Yes, Romefeller in this chapter Warnings: shounen ai, shoujo ai, het, language, violence, OOC, AU timeline from Antarctica on, angst, crazy muses and authors, too little sleep?  
  
**Disclaimers:** All we own are our original characters and the story line. Everything else belongs to this hideously long list of companies with lots of lawyers who could get our pennies. So, seeing as how that's been said, please don't sue. Mako needs to save her money to move to Texas!! We sure as hell don't get any money off of this… Just have fun.  
  
**Notes:** Makoto meets the rest of the OZ members, and Noin has an… interesting secret.  
  
**Begin part four**  
  
Skeren nodded then headed back to Treize's office. She pulled the aspirin from her pocket and popped one as she was closing the door. "It's too early for a headache."  
  
"Really? I find that in my line of work, it is never too early for a headache," Treize said, offering Skeren a glass of juice.  
  
Skeren took the juice gratefully, sipping at it with a sigh. "You're right. But yelling at those Asian boys earlier helped me so much! Now all that's back to where I started." She couldn't help a pout as she leaned over to get her shurikens. "I can get you a sword of some sort out of this too you know."  
  
"I will consider it, but in no way can I condone my cousin receiving Gundanium weaponry."  
  
Relena had finally woken up, and had enough sugar in her to be the perky person that the world knew her as. "Even I don't understand the reason for that Treize."  
  
"The reason for what, Princess? Oh, that reminds me, I have told Zechs about your presence. He was quite overjoyed. I believe that I will take you to see him later on."  
  
Relena blinked, and then broke into a smile. "How kind of you! Please, it would be great to see him face to face."  
  
"Of course. So, you have something against order, Asian men, and… Lady Une, correct?" He looked at Skeren with a smile.  
  
Skeren laughed quietly. "No, just dress codes."  
  
Treize chuckled as he hit the com. "Lady Une, could you please join me in my office right now?"  
  
Skeren knew Une didn't even have her uniform from the day before since it was getting... cleaned. Lady Une joined the room the discussion a moment later, her face flustered. She was wearing a light pink dress with thin straps.  
  
Treize blinked. "Lady, where is your normal attire?"  
  
Relena immediately clapped her hands over her mouth, staring wide-eyed. Her reaction was because she thought she'd seen an angel. Forgetting, of course, the fact that she was the same person that killed Darlian. Dorothy and Skeren's reaction was similar, but it was to contain laughter.  
  
"The cleaners, sir," Lady Une replied, not meeting anyone's eyes.  
  
Relena got to her feet, blinking a few times as she took in the entire result. The color actually suited Une. "It's lovely!"  
  
Lady Une looked up. "Miss Peacecraft? What are you doing here?"  
  
Treize coughed to cover his own fit of laughter. "Well, it seems as though we will be having visitors soon, or going to see them. I would appreciate it if you would please find something more... fitting... for the occasion." Une glared at him for this.  
  
Relena smiled brightly. "We're here to visit with a few people on base. Lady Une?" She turned to eye Treize, and then looked back to Une. "Oh, don't worry about him. You look beautiful! That color just makes you look like an angel!"  
  
Dorothy choked a bit, seeing the gleam in Relena's eye that was formerly reserved for Yuy, and she got a bit wide-eyed. Skeren was the one that said it though. A little whisper. "Uh oh."  
  
Treize looked at his cousin for help with the situation. He really needed his third in command dressed properly.  
  
"All the reason not to wear it. Excuse me." Lady Une got up and left. Relena released a little sigh, and then did the only currently logical thing. She followed.  
  
Dorothy watched the door close behind the pair and covered her eyes. "She's suicidal, I tell you!"  
  
"Dorothy?" Treize couldn't decipher what the two females were communicating.  
  
Dorothy turned an accusing look on Skeren, who held up her hands in defense before looking to Treize. "Relena will be around for a long while to come now."  
  
"Good God... I'd better tell Zechs."  
  
Skeren shook her head. "And we just got her to stop hounding Yuy!"  
  
Treize picked up his phone and dialed Zechs. "Your sister is now hounding Une. You may want to stop that." He then hung up.  
  
Dorothy shook her head. "You don't understand! She isn't going to stop..."  
  
Relena, like a happy little bird, was following after Une. "Really, I didn't mean to embarrass you! You really do look like an angel come to Earth!"  
  
"Stop following me!" Une shouted at her, embarrassed over all the praise. She couldn't find any hair ties either, so her hair was loose and free.  
  
"Please, I am sorry! I'll stop complimenting you if you insist, but I must say having your hair down suits you! It makes you look so sweet." Relena smiled at her brightly, hopefully.  
  
Une sighed. "Thank you, Miss Peacecraft, but if you would really like to compliment me, do you think you could find me some decent clothes?"  
  
Relena nodded a little. "Of course I'll help you! What would you like me to get you? You look beautiful now, but you are on duty, so I understand. Is there somewhere specific we can go for them?"  
  
"Pants and a shirt. And a heavy-duty bra to tie back these... Things." Une was currently bra-less. "And some boxer shorts." And with that, Une turned and walked away.  
  
Relena let out a little sigh, and then went in search of the proper items.  
  
Skeren was staring a hole in the door. "I never thought she would react like that!"  
  
Makoto finally got out the car, and returned back to Treize's office. "Who? What? I missed something..."  
  
Dorothy looked at Makoto. "Have you heard about Relena's stalking fetish?"  
  
"Something about a Heero Yuy... That's about it. Why?"  
  
Skeren's dry voice filled her in. "She found a new target in Lady Une."  
  
"Oh. Fun. So, what else did I miss?"  
  
Treize looked at the woman. "You've lost your accent."  
  
Makoto chuckled rather throatily. "It's something I learned for my line of work. I just end up not modulating my voice most of the time."  
  
"That's really about it." Dorothy studied Makoto consideringly; then, she looked to Treize. "You have my condolences about Une."  
  
"I will need them. I think I now have a headache." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of aspirin, downed four dry, and chased them with a glass of water.  
  
Skeren chuckled as she watched Treize. "At least she didn't focus in on you. She's grown up since the Yuy chasing a couple months ago. She might not be that bad."  
  
"Please, do not even joke about that."  
  
Makoto laughed again. "Well, if she started it, at least I could say she has good taste."  
  
Treize turned on Skeren. "This is all your fault, Ms. Dalren."  
  
Dorothy chuckled softly. "What's wrong, cousin. Afraid of a girl with a prospective crush?"  
  
Skeren held her hand to her chest. "Not my fault, I was reacting to Une's orders!"  
  
"No, afraid of Relena Peacecraft. Do not try to play innocent with me. There were other courses of action that did not have to lead to... that..."  
  
Skeren shook her head immediately. "I'd never sic Relena on someone! She gets positively idiotic when that happens!"  
  
"I will refrain from commenting on that." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "So tell me, when we are to meet with the Gundam pilots."  
  
"I think that information is coming with the guest this evening. I very much doubt that he'll broadcast he is here." Skeren grinned.  
  
"Guest?" Treize asked. "Who is this guest?"  
  
"Person who stole my phone." Skeren huffed a bit.  
  
Makoto laughed out loud. "Don't get too mean about it. You'll get wrinkles before you're twenty, Sky."  
  
Skeren rolled her eyes. "Oh please. He could have taken something less important than my phone. Like my wallet!"  
  
"Evidently. Ladies, as much as I would love to continue this meeting, I'm afraid that there are matters here that require my attention. Skeren, perhaps you'd like to retrieve Relena and take the others for a tour?"  
  
Dorothy raised an eyebrow at the two, and then looked back at Treize. "It's been a busy morning."  
  
Skeren nodded a bit and got to her feet, tipping her head to the side as she waited for Dorothy to rise. "Can do. C'mon, girls."  
  
Makoto filed in behind Dorothy and leaned over to whisper, "What's your deal, pretty?"  
  
Dorothy tipped her head. "My deal?"  
  
"Yes, your eyebrows. Are they natural?"  
  
Dorothy raised both of said eyebrows. "It runs in the family."  
  
Makoto stole a look back at Treize. "Suppose it does. So, how'd you meet Sky?"  
  
Dorothy smirked. "Won an argument with Relena."  
  
Makoto nodded. "Must be the one with the scar. Congrats. So, what do you do for fun on a military base? Never been on one..."  
  
Dorothy grinned. "You confuse the locals. You drop cryptic comments that could mean any number of things and make them see it as a puzzle. Then, you watch them scramble for understanding."  
  
Makoto smirked. "Oh, so what I normally do? You know, I expected your cousin to be a bit sharper, but I suppose dealing with Skeren at first is like that for most people."  
  
Dorothy shook her head a bit. "Sharper how?" She was never a morning person.  
  
"He's just not so quick... I would have hoped he knew who had stolen Skeren's phone by now. Guests, my ass..." Makoto sounded scolding.  
  
Skeren glanced back. "He's good at hiding things. He likely knows."  
  
Makoto nodded. "Probably... So, Sky... What're the points of interest? Where's this Zechs I keep hearing about?"  
  
Skeren steered her two charges off towards Zechs' office.  
  
"So, is he as pretty as they say he is?" Makoto asked, feeling oddly out of place now.  
  
Skeren glanced over at Makoto. "The ass and body, definitely, chin too, nose up is a mystery."  
  
Poor Makoto's reply came out more than a little baffled. "Mystery? Why?"  
  
Meanwhile, Zechs found his sister in the base's laundry room, looking positively puzzled. "Relena?"  
  
Relena glanced up to see Zechs there and smiled. "Why hello!"  
  
Zechs shook his head. "What are you doing, Relena?"  
  
Relena smiled at him. "I'm helping Lady Une find something to wear that would be comfortable to her."  
  
"Comfortable? What is wrong with the garments in her closet?"  
  
Relena sighed a bit. "She's in a lovely pink dress. She looks absolutely angelic, but she isn't comfortable."  
  
"Une? In pink? Dress? Angelic?" Zechs' brain froze as he tried to process that. "Hmmm, Relena, why don't we go and talk in my smaller, more cramped office?"  
  
Relena nodded, smiling at Zechs. "Of course. Then... well..." She shook her head, floundering into silence, as she felt abruptly shy.  
  
"Yes?" Zechs asked, pulling a few garments down that he knew would be about the right size for Une. "We will deliver these to Une, and then we can talk."  
  
Relena blushed a little and reached over, taking them from his hands. "Alright. I'd like that."  
  
Zechs led Relena down the halls, pausing before her room. "Une, I have some 'normal' clothes for you."  
  
Une opened the door a crack and peeked out.  
  
Zechs blinked. "What are you hiding from?"  
  
"Get out of here, Lieutenant!" Une nearly shrieked the command.  
  
Relena moved forward, smiling brightly. "Lady Angel! I brought you clothes."  
  
"Lady Angel?" Une repeated to herself and opened the door a crack more.  
  
Zechs just stood back, watching the exchange between his sister and Une.  
  
"Lieutenant, Une said, spying Zechs again. She did not want him to see her in this getup. "I believe I gave you an order."  
  
Relena nodded a little, her smile not nearly so maniacal as it had been a few minutes before. "Yes. Lady Angel. Please don't be unkind to him. We're gong to talk, and he's waiting for me."  
  
Zechs turned around, trying to give the woman her space. "I'm taking my sister with me."  
  
"Fine. Hand the clothes over and scram," Une replied and stuck an arm out the door.  
  
Zechs snorted. "As polite as ever, I see."  
  
Relena sighed a bit and handed her part of the pile first. "Play nice. She's not comfortable." She then handed over the second portion. "I will see you later, Lady Angel?"  
  
"You'll keep your smart-ass comments to yourself, Lieutenant," Une snapped as she hurriedly snatched the first part of the offered clothes.  
  
Relena handed her the last items as she shook her head. She didn't make further comment though, waiting to see if Une would answer her question. Une changed in a hurry and threw open the door, wearing a scowl as well as more appropriate attire. Or what she considered appropriate anyway.  
  
"May I turn around now?" Zechs' voice was positively amused.  
  
Relena gave a regretful sigh, but nodded to Une. "I think Treize might be waiting for you."  
  
Une nodded in return, and stalked down the hallway. Believe it or not, the frilly pink dress was the most unfeminine thing in her quarters now.  
  
Relena looked after Une for a moment, then looked to Zechs, taking his arm and tugging. "Lets go."  
  
Zechs snorted. "Given up on Yuy, I see, and found something less appealing," he said, sighing and escorting his sister to his office.  
  
Relena bristled. "She isn't less appealing. She's done some horrid things, but I don't believe her to be any less appealing than Heero was. Heero just wasn't interested." This, the other three heard as they came around the corner.  
  
"His mask." Skeren then heard the words. "Someone said something about Une."  
  
"Who?" Makoto asked, looking at the mysterious blond man as they turned into her line of sight. " Lieutenant Colonel Zechs Merquise, I presume." She held out her hand in formal greeting.  
  
Zechs eyed her before accepting the hand. "You are?" Relena went silent quickly with that.  
  
"Yuzuki Makoto at your service." She mouthed 'Definitely nice ass' to Skeren.  
  
Skeren came up behind Makoto as Dorothy went over by Relena. "Makoto!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You aren't supposed to relay these things. Lets get him into his office to give him the news we have to share from this morning, hmm?"  
  
"I just gave him my name... Sheesh, Sky, chill," Makoto said, moving into the office before anyone else and taking the comfortable chair. "I've always wondered what an office like this was like."  
  
"It's a pain," Zechs said, glaring at Makoto through his mask.  
  
Skeren cast an amused look at Zechs as she moved to perch on the desk, the three blondes left to trail in. She spoke once the door closed. "As soon as we have details, you are going to be part of the group meeting the pilots."  
  
This of course, was news to Zechs. "Pilots?"   
  
Dorothy nodded a bit. "Yes. You know, people you Peacecrafts liked to stalk before Relena changed tactics?"  
  
Relena lifted her head with a small, "Hey!"  
  
"Why are we having a meeting with them? Should I call Noin here then? I assume she's involved as well." Zechs was already reaching for the comm, but clearly not to open the connection without the permission.  
  
Skeren heaved a mental sigh. "You're having a meeting with them because Treize trusts me. And yes, Noin is involved, or will be."  
  
Zechs nodded and picked up his phone. "Noin, could you come to my office quickly? It's important." There was no answer on Noin's phone.  
  
Skeren shook her head. "Would you like me to go get her?"  
  
"Yes, please," Zechs said, slamming down the receiver.  
  
Skeren nodded and left the room, going to check on Noin's office and walking right on in. Then, she froze.  
  
Noin's eyes got wide and she hurriedly grabbed a blanket off her bed to cover herself.  
  
"Eep!" Sally shrieked. "I thought you said you locked the door!" she yelled at Noin as she covered her breasts, not knowing where her shirt went.  
  
Skeren cleared her throat, gaze flicking from one woman to the other. "Zechs sent me to see why you didn't answer your phone."  
  
"I think you have your answer!" Sally snapped, her cheeks flushed.  
  
"Apparently... Noin, please, join us in Zechs' office, would you?" Then she moved out and closed the door, returning to Zechs' office with bright red cheeks. "She'll be a minute."  
  
"What happened?" Makoto asked, looking at her friend from the commandeered chair she was still sitting in. Dorothy looked keenly interested in the answer as well, raising an eyebrow as she waited.  
  
Skeren gave a weak laugh. "She was a little busy."  
  
Zechs looked at the blue haired woman. "Busy?"  
  
"Sally and Noin partially naked together... Busy." Skeren moved to the desk and perched.  
  
Zechs' visible face flushed. "Really... I suppose I should have seen it."  
  
Noin appeared a moment later, her hair still a little mussed and her shirt buttoned up crookedly. "Yes?" she croaked out, not having heard the last part of that statement.  
  
"Noin, your shirt is crooked," Makoto retorted, snickering.  
  
All the political females looked at Noin after she entered, and Relena was trying not to giggle. Noin looked down and adjusted her shirt a little, clearly embarrassed.  
  
Zechs cleared his throat. "Noin, you know my sister, Relena. Dorothy, who is Treize's cousin. Skeren, the civilian representative of OZ, and her friend Makoto Yuzuki." Makoto visibly twitched at the butchering of her name.  
  
Skeren smiled. "Miss Noin." She paused, lips twitching. "You and I should be on first names though now, shouldn't we?"  
  
Noin nodded at everyone. "Nice to meet you." She pointedly did not look at Skeren  
  
The blond man moved over to a corner of his office, trying to ignore the claustrophobic feeling he was getting with so many other people around. "Would someone care to explain?"  
  
Skeren prodded at Noin again with a look, but took pity on Zechs as Relena followed after him a couple steps. "Noin, you are going to be part of group to meet up with the Gundam pilots. If I saw what I thought I saw on your desk, I might suggest asking Miss Po to accompany us."  
  
Noin furiously blushed. "Yes, I'm sure she'd like to come," she squeaked it out, before clearing her throat.  
  
Makoto snickered once more. "Well, wouldn't you like to go get this Ms. Po, then?" She locked her warm brown eyes with that of Noin, her face devoid of any humor.  
  
"Are we leaving soon?" Noin asked, as she stood up and walked to the door, wondering if perhaps this couldn't have waited...  
  
Dorothy's lips twitched. "She might like to hear this ahead of time since she snuck on base, wouldn't she?"  
  
Noin half paled, half blushed. "I will brief her."  
  
"There's been quite a bit of sneaking on this base," Zechs replied dryly from his corner.  
  
Relena turned to Zechs and blinked at him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Nothing," he said, looking pointedly at her, Dorothy, and the woman in his chair.  
  
Skeren laughed quietly as she took in the stare. "I invited all of them!"  
  
Zechs turned his icy stare to her, letting her know that she was already on his list, no matter what she may have said to Treize to win him over.  
  
Skeren just smirked back at him, pointing at his clearly borrowed clothes before turning to Noin. "Go on and get her."  
  
Makoto's phone chose that moment to ring. Noin left, extremely embarrassed, but eager to get back to Sally. She planned on locking the door this time. Makoto's phone just continued to ring.  
  
Makoto sighed, and pulled out her cell, staring at the LCD screen before sighing once more. "You know, Riku, darlin', we gotta talk about your timin'. You know that it sucks, right?"  
  
There was a small scoff from Riku. "I'll let that comment slide. I got us a place across town. You want the address?"  
  
Skeren looked over, noting the three blondes watching the conversation in mild interest.  
  
"Sure," Makoto said, snatching up a pen and a piece of paper off of the desk in front of her. "Ready, sweetheart."  
  
"The Flamenco hotel, 4800 Sage Rd. When you get here, tell the Clerk you're there to see Mr. Masterson. Got it? And keep it to yourself, and Skeren, if you must tell her. And don't fuck around; we have work to do before we go on that job tonight."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. What am I? Two?" she snapped, feeling irritated. "I know about the work. Don't be such an anal fuck!" She hung up before he could say anything else. "Sorry. Irritatin' little brother."  
  
Skeren laughed a bit. "You claim that annoying twit as your little brother?" She shook her head. "I'd disown him!"  
  
"Sometimes... When I dun feel like wringin' his neck," Makoto murmured. "But, yanno, he grows on ya.... Eventually..."  
  
"I'll think about considering it." It was all Skeren could reply with.  
  
Relena spoke up. "I don't think Miss Noin is coming back."  
  
Zechs cleared his throat. "You know, I hate to break this up, but might I ask who this Riku person is, and how you know him?"  
  
Makoto smiled. "You can, but then, I'd have ta kill ya… And that'd be a waste."  
  
Skeren sighed a little. "Mako, you really need to work on who you choose to threaten."  
  
Makoto gave her a sad look. "Summimasen, Sky, but that's a promise... And yanno I dun joke 'bout work."  
  
"What I told those boys applies too, you to you know. He doesn't get offed." Skeren kept her voice soft. There was something about her that seemed threatening, but there was no way to place it, and her bright clothes only made her seem playful, at least usually.  
  
Makoto gave her a cold smile. "Well, pretty boy there needs ta stop askin' so many questions..."  
  
Zechs just stared at the two women. "Right, well, then I suppose I will that drop. On to other topics... You mentioned the Gundam pilots. What do they have to do with this?"  
  
Skeren brightened instantly. "The other side, and you, might just be coming to some conclusions that include the people fighting for the right objective joining them. Treize has seen the reasoning that makes this a good idea."  
  
"Somehow, I see what's left of my sanity slipping... One can only deal with Duo Maxwell for just so long," Zechs muttered, but it was loud enough for everyone else to hear.  
  
Skeren blinked. "I was unaware you'd ever met that one."  
  
"I haven't, but the stories are enough to make one feel sorry for those who have. You should speak to Lady Une sometime... She's had the pleasure."  
  
"Considering he was a captive, might you consider that he wasn't acting the same as he normally would?" Skeren looked to the other three, noting that Relena was shaking her head at what she was saying.  
  
"Ah, Duo's the kid with the braid, right?" Makoto asked, smiling warmly. "I could see him bein' a handful, captive or no..."  
  
Relena smiled a bit. "He's amusing, and annoying. The reason I'm alive still though, so I can't fault him." Not to say that she liked him, but she didn't dislike him either.  
  
Dorothy sighed. "I'll never understand why you didn't fixate on him instead of Heero. At least he never tried to kill you."  
  
Mako looked up from her hands, which she had found interesting before that comment. "Heero? Is he part Japanese?"  
  
Relena blinked. "He looks it. Has the loveliest blue eyes though." She trailed off into a murmur. She still liked the guy; she just now had other aims.  
  
Dorothy simply shook her head at the other girl. "Please, tell me you aren't about to go into his attributes."  
  
Makoto snorted. "Yeah, a real sweetheart... Killed what was left of my family on L1, though, not really sayin' much 'bout that side...I'd like to meet him soon."  
  
Relena looked to Makoto. "He has made some mistakes. When he nearly shot me, for instance. But he didn't take the next chance, see? Still here."  
  
Dorothy snorted. "Only because Duo shot him though, wasn't it?"  
  
"I see... But like I said, I dun care 'bout that part of my family... Seems they didn't approve of my line of work." She rolled her eyes. "Hope they're havin' fun with the man downstairs, self-righteous bastards."  
  
Relena made a soft "Oh."  
  
Skeren shook her head on a small laugh. "Relena, you told me that story. Have you met any of your good friends without violence?"  
  
Relena had the grace to look sheepish. "Well... No."  
  
"There ya go. Good friends aren't good unless there's a fire in 'em," Makoto said, feeling a bit older than her twenty-two years.  
  
Skeren snorted and looked over at Relena. "She has that one covered. Remind me to never try to break up a fight with her in it if I ever try that again. Would you?"  
  
Une knocked on Treize's door while the others talked with Zechs.  
  
"Come in, Lady," Treize called, putting down his papers and standing as the woman came in. "I'm glad to see that you have found something... more appropriate for the time."  
  
"Thank you, Sir." Une nodded as she took a seat. "I'm glad as well."  
  
Treize sat down as well. "Well, let's get down to business, shall we? Ms. Dalren has had the pleasure of meeting with three of the five Gundam pilots this morning, and it seems as though... How shall I put this? We are joining forces with them to fight for a greater cause."  
  
Une blinked, this was news to her. "...I see."  
  
"You are taking this rather calmly, Colonel. I had expected something a bit... sharper from you."  
  
"Far be it for me to question your orders, Sir, but... Do you mean you want to rebel against the very organization you put into place?" Une looked down at her lap.  
  
"Against OZ, no, but there is something sinister going on behind closed doors with Romefeller, and I would rather not have a knife in my back the next time I step into a meeting. I do hope you understand."  
  
"I understand." Lady Une was quiet for a few moments. "What now, then?"  
  
"Well, as soon as Ms. Dalren contacts the pilots once more, I believe we are meeting with them. She has assured me that Chang and Yuy will keep their weapons to themselves, though part of me is not happy with that."  
  
"Are they coming here?" Lady Une asked.  
  
"As far as I can tell, no. I believe we are to set up a meeting place with the five of them and another associate of Ms. Dalren's... One we have yet to meet."  
  
Une just nodded a little too shocked about this sudden change of events.  
  
"Is there something on your mind, Colonel? Now would be the time to voice any concerns you have."  
  
"Not at this time, Sir."  
  
"I do believe that now is probably the only time that you will have the opportunity to express yourself, with candor, if you feel the need. I know about your feelings about some of the pilots, Lady."  
  
"Exactly what are you implying, Sir?" Une asked.  
  
"I am implying nothing. I am telling you that now, and only now, am I willing to let you rant about how you don't trust them. After we meet with them, I will not take kindly to you insulting our allies."  
  
Une looked very frustrated. "I don't see how we can accept the Gundam pilots as our allies... They've tried to kill you numerous times and they've killed our soldiers, destroyed our weapons, been a nuisance, stolen our money, and… and..." Une just flustered and trailed off.  
  
"I have allowed myself to be a very public target for them, Colonel. And yes, it's true that they have killed our soldiers, destroyed our property, annoyed many of us, and stolen Romefeller's money... But I find the challenge has always been up to our standards, and if this is a way to keep certain other things from happening, so be it. Besides, what has the Alliance, Federation, and Romefeller done to the colonies they fight to protect with their lives?"  
  
Lady Une didn't answer that.  
  
"So you see my point, Colonel Une?"  
  
She sighed. "Yes, Sir."  
  
"You exceed my expectations, my Lady. So, tell me, how did you lose Ms. Peacecraft-Darlian?"  
  
"Er...I plead the fifth, Sir." She shifted in her seat.  
  
"Come now. Surely it wasn't all that bad, Une," Treize said, his tone light and joking.  
  
"It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't stuck in that ...thing!"  
  
"I happen to think that the dress suited you quite well. It brought out the color of your eyes immensely."  
  
"Don't patronize me, please. It was horrid."  
  
"Only you were of that thought, although I would not go as far as Relena had in expressing my admiration for the change in your attire. But, I must say that it was very out of place at a military base. Hence my relief at seeing you in something more... businesslike."  
  
"Thank you, Sir," Lady Une replied. "I'm glad someone around here feels that way."  
  
"You are welcome," he retorted, thinking for a moment. "You haven't by chance seen Lieutenant Colonel Marquise this morning, have you? Or Noin, for that matter."  
  
"I have. But I have not seen him since. And no, I haven't seen Lieutenant Noin all day."  
  
"Hmmm.... Thank you, Colonel. That is all," he said, thinking once more. "I will contact you as soon as anything of importance is learned."  
  
"Thank you, Sir," Lady Une replied as she rose and left the room.  
  
**To be continued.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Reservations For Sanity  
**Authors:** Skeren Dreamera, Makoto Sagara, and Bagelbunion  
**Archive:** www.foreverfandom.net (under Makoto Sagara) www.gundam- wing-fanfiction.net, www.mediaminer.org, and www.nfiction.net, (under Skeren Dreamera) (any others... Good luck finding them)  
**Category:** AU, Shounen ai, Het, Action/Adventure  
**Pairings:** 41, 353, 26, R11, OCxOC, very subject to change  
**Rating:** R  
**Contact:** Skeren Dreamera: Mickeofasyahoo.com Makoto Sagara: SagaraMakotoaol.com Bagelbunion: Bagelbunioncox.net  
**Spoilers:** Yes, Romefeller for almost the whole story line  
**Warnings:** shounen ai, shoujo ai, het, language, violence, OOC, AU timeline from Antarctica on, angst, crazy muses and authors, too little sleep?

**Disclaimers:** All we own are our original characters and the story line. Everything else belongs to this hideously long list of companies with lots of lawyers who could get our pennies. So, seeing as how that's been said, please don't sue. Mako needs to save her money to move to Texas!! We sure as hell don't get any money off of this...Just have fun. Notes: Wufei tries to figure Trowa out, and Duo sneaks onto the OZ base for a conversation with Treize and Zechs.  
  
**Begin part five**  
  
Quatre sighed as he tried to digest the news that he and Heero had received from Wufei about the people Trowa had them meet. "Heero... What do you think about this... proposal?"  
  
Heero considered Quatre for a moment and let out a breath. "It has potential."  
  
"Potential? I don't like the way Wufei seemed ready to kill the one female... Something just doesn't... fit."  
  
"Like why he would consider it in the first place?" Heero looked over at Quatre, his thoughts well concealed.  
  
"No. I was thinking more along the lines of why would OZ, an enemy, consider siding with a small team of rebels? There's something off about this whole thing. I'd like to know more about this Skeren Dalren."  
  
Heero lips twitched. "As I said, like why he would consider it in the first place. I believe the meeting is supposed to do that. Do we try the meeting, a place of our choosing?"  
  
"I suppose we have little choice in the matter... I just hope this isn't a trap to catch us all and kill us, thus ending the war in one way. But you're right... it should be on our terms."  
  
"If they insisted anything else, they would be denied." Heero nodded  
a bit.  
  
"Of course," Quatre replied with a cold smile.  
  
Heero just smirked back. "Then, maybe we should all decide when this would be."  
  
"That means we should probably talk to Duo, Trowa and Wufei... Since I'm sure they didn't leave before getting contact information."  
  
Heero nodded slightly. "That would be. Who should we start with?"  
  
"Wufei again? Hmmm.... No, more than likely Duo, or Trowa...."  
  
Heero nodded a bit. "Duo would tell the other two if we can't locate them."  
  
"Do you want to contact him, or should I?" Quatre asked.  
  
Heero considered it. "You. He'll know my standpoint if you tell him. If I did, he wouldn't be able to determine yours."  
  
"I suppose you're right." Quatre quickly dialed into Deathscythe's link. "Duo?"  
  
Duo answered, still amused that he'd been grouched at for taking the phone. The woman had the most interesting numbers on it; he'd been tracing them. "Yes?"  
  
"How was your fact-finding mission?" Quatre had decided to start off small, and hopefully Duo would spill. If not, he was prepared to be as blunt as possible.  
  
"Stole the nice politician's phone. She sure has some different contacts in here." Duo shook his head, still amazed by the sheer variety of people he'd gotten the information for. He hadn't been stupid enough to call any of them.  
  
"Hmmm, why am I not surprised?" Quatre quirked an eyebrow. "Anyway, the reason I contacted you was that Heero and I are ready to join the three of you for the meeting with OZ."  
  
"Good, so when is it? I can tell her when I give her phone back tonight. That way we don't have to monitor anything." Duo grinned at the screen. "Amazing as it is, I think this can work." Duo laughed a bit. "She even got respect out of Wufei."  
  
Quatre stood there gaping. "She... did... what?"  
  
Duo nodded immediately. "Yes! He was going on and on about the other chick, but said not one word against missy politics after she yelled at him. If she can do that, I think she can do this."  
  
Quatre snorted. "I suppose Wufei has met a female him in the other one? Well, I suggest that we meet them tomorrow... afternoon. Any suggestions as to the location?"  
  
Duo gnawed at his lip. "Yeah. Remember that huge park down towards the south of the city? There's that pavilion there that we can meet. It's deep enough in no casual observers will be around, and we can make sure that it isn't bugged or trapped if we get there earlier."  
  
"I know exactly the place. Call Wufei and Trowa... and then contact the other group. Two PM, tomorrow afternoon, but we all meet there at noon to set up, okay?"  
  
Duo nodded at Quatre. "Alright, sounds good to me. See ya!"  
  
"Later." Quatre then turned around to Heero after cutting the link. "Acceptable, no?"  
  
Meanwhile, Wufei had been puzzling over his reaction to Trowa's secret, finding it hard to stop obsessing over the point. So, after a few hours of pointless brooding, he decided to tap into Heavyarms' inner camera and see that the other teen was up to. Trowa was staring into space, calm as ever, and he had some light music on in the background. Wufei just stared, unable to tear his eyes from the serene look on the banged youth's face. He had only seen similar looks on those in a highly meditative state. Besides, the music was sort of nice. Trowa leaned back stretching his arms and closing his eyes. Wufei felt his mouth go dry as he continued to watch Trowa's languidly slow movements. He was at a loss for words to accurately describe what he was watching.  
  
Trowa laughed and turned off his music, deciding that he had the munchies and now it was time for a snack. "Score!" Trowa yelled as he found some chocolate graham crackers stashed in Heavyarms. He opened the box and began to eat. It was a while later that Trowa sat back up and leaned forward and pressed a button on his panel. His face popped up in Nataku's cockpit. "There something you find interesting. Wufei?" He smiled slightly.  
  
Wufei felt his face flush, and he silently cursed himself. "No," he ground out, cutting the link quickly and then he started to curse, out loud, in Chinese. about being an idiot who couldn't keep his mind off of foolish things.  
  
Heero inclined his head slightly to Duo and quirked his lips. "Acceptable." He cut off the connection and moved to page the other two. "We have a time and place for the meeting tomorrow."  
  
Wufei blinked as he heard Heero's comment come over his link. "Time? Place?" He waited for the answer, not turning on the video component because he was still flushed from being caught by Trowa.  
  
"What meeting?" Came the rather fumbled response from Trowa.  
  
"Yes, two PM is when they should be there, but we are going to set up about noon. It's going to be in the park, south side of the city at the pavilion. Meet us there at noon." Heero waited for confirmation he was heard.  
  
Wufei answered quickly, eager to get off the comm line "Fine."  
  
Quatre leaned over, worried that it was taking Trowa so long to answer. "Trowa? Did you catch that?"  
  
"Catch what?" Trowa was still blinking at him.  
  
Heero looked to Quatre with some confusion.  
  
"I'm just fucking with you. Quatre, I got it." Trowa smiled and shut the link before Quatre could comment.  
  
Heero eyed the blank screen, and then moved back. "That was... Odd."  
  
Quatre smiled a bit weakly and then looked at Wufei's part of the screen. "Wufei, why can I see you?"  
  
"I found it not necessary for you to be able to see me." Wufei's voice was annoyed.  
  
"Ah, is that so? Well, tomorrow then," Quatre said, shutting the link between the three of them. "Ok," he said, whirling around to Heero. "What the hell is wrong with those two?"  
  
Heero was mildly disappointed when Quatre answered and closed the link. He'd had an answer that would have made Duo proud. "I'm certain that something unusual occurred that they didn't share with us."  
  
"Unusual, my ass... Trowa seems to have a sense of humor, and that stick up Wufei's ass is a lot pricklier than normal." Quatre stopped, realizing what he said. "That was horribly out of character... I've been spending too much time with Duo, I see."  
  
"Don't worry. I wanted to ask Wufei why he only just noticed that the screen didn't have to be on." Heero gave a slight smirk.  
  
Quatre paused in his thoughts. "Maybe he found the need for it all of a sudden..."  
  
"It is possible." Heero nodded slightly, conceding the point.  
  
While the other two debated, Trowa was mercilessly cracking up in his Gundam. He paused and took a breath and then starting laughing again a little more subdued this time. Trowa got a hold of himself, mumbling something about confusing Quatre before saying, "Shit... I am stoned." He chuckled a little more and hoped that Heero hadn't hacked into his system, but as far as he could tell only Wufei was watching him and he was wondering if he should give him a little show. He snickered again.  
  
Wufei, was scowling, wondering what the hell had come over Trowa for him to behave the way he was... It took a moment, but it was then that he realized that the Heavyarms pilot was probably high. Wufei considered that his curiosity was not worth trying to watch Trowa again. His face flushed once more, and he closed his eyes to clear his mind. Meditation was very much needed at that point.  
  
In a separate location.  
  
Duo nodded to himself, leaving his Gundam in hiding and then moving into town, deciding that now was as good of a time as any to go visit the political chick, and he figured that stealing a car was the best means to get there. The fact that it was still daylight didn't even faze him. He got to the base, ditching the car in a suitable walking distance before strolling in, effectively dodging guards and locating a security station to figure out where the woman he was here to locate was at. Duo found the woman, and got a rather... interesting... look at Noin and Sally on Noin's desk before finding Skeren in Zechs' office.  
  
"Hmm, might as well meet that one in person first, huh?" Then, Duo smirked, heading down to the currently crowded room. It was astoundingly easy to disable the cameras for the room, and he strolled right in as if he owned the place. "Hello. It's Zechsy, Missy, Ojousan, Doro, and you missy politics! You I have a gift for!" He took out her cell phone, grinning as Skeren's eyes focused on it.  
  
Makoto looked up as the door opened. "Why, it's the pretty braided boy. 'Lo, Duo." Makoto couldn't help but snicker. "Ah, he's so prompt... in deliverin' things back to their owners after he steals 'em."  
  
Dorothy snickered as well, while Relena just sighed. "I thought on a base I would be safe from your antics."  
  
Duo glanced over to Relena and laughed. "Look who's talking!" He moved forward extending the phone back to it's owner.  
  
Dorothy shook her head as Skeren took her phone back, immediately looking through it to see if it was messed with. "Relena is leaving Yuy alone now. She's set her sights on someone else."  
  
Makoto snorted. "Yes, and a lovely aspect that's gonna be, too..."  
  
Relena glared at Dorothy before looking at Duo. "I can talk for myself. Due to Heero's lack of interest, I've decided to extend my attentions to the Lady Angel instead."  
  
Zechs rolled his eyes. "Is there a reason for you presence, Maxwell? Or shall I alert security?"  
  
Duo turned his full attention on Zechs, who was still backed up into a corner, and grinned. "No, I have a reason, as you've seen. Besides, it isn't exactly the best way to win me over if you're going to go callin' the cops on me, now is it?" He moved around the desk getting between Zechs and it.  
  
Makoto laughed and Zechs glared at her. "Well, please, tell me you have more than just that to do, and then I might reconsider my idea."  
  
"Now now, you have got to be kidding me. What do you expect me to do? Try and kill ya? You might end up being too cute to kill if I can just get a look under that mask of yours. No, I'm here to tell you where the lot of you are meeting with us tomorrow."  
  
Zechs refrained from commenting about the mask retort. "Really?"  
  
"Yes really. Are you deafened with that thing?" Duo reached out, poking at Zechs' chest.  
  
Zechs looked less than pleased "Care to illuminate the rest of us, or are you going to continue to belittle me?"  
  
"I thought the first thing I said sounded rather like a compliment myself." Duo licked his lips a little, and then grinned. "At two PM. Y'know to give you a little time to organize. Sally can come by the way." As if on cue, there was a loud scream from the direction of Noin's office.  
  
Makoto grinned. "Sounds like Noin and Sally are having fun right now. So, where are we meetin' you and your pretty lil friends, Duo, darlin'?"  
  
Duo laughed a bit. "It sure looked like it. Moment I got an eyeful of that I decided to keep searching. No offense or anything, but I did not want to see a naked woman, let alone two." Duo shook his head.  
  
Skeren snickered. "Hear that Makoto? He's out of your league."  
  
Makoto pouted. "Awww... too bad... But, tell me, where are we meetin' y'all?"  
  
Duo sighed in exaggerated fashion. "That park south of the city. In the pavilion where nobody ever goes. Any unwelcome company will be spotted."  
  
"And killed on sight. I dun like busybodies," Makoto said, glaring at the OZ colonel.  
  
Duo shook his head a bit, leaning his head back to look at Makoto. "C'mon now, we aren't all murderers here. Just knocking em out'll do."  
  
Zechs glared back. "I will inform Treize about that. Thank you." He left his cramped office, glad to be somewhere were the walls didn't feel like they were closing in on him. Duo let Zechs go by, but took the opportunity to give the taller man an unexpected pinch.  
  
Makoto laughed. "Well, darlin', you might not be, but I am... And witnesses are not somethin' you want when doin' your job." She checked her watch. "Oops, gotta go. Duty calls. I'll let Riku-honey know."  
  
Skeren pouted, but gave Makoto a hug. "Bring him there, alright? Tomorrow?"  
  
Makoto shot a look at Skeren before she left. "No problem, but, Sky, know how I can borrow a car or somethin'?"  
  
Skeren make a face. "Not if you are going near our dear Riku."  
  
Duo piped up. "You can take my car! It's over by the south end of the complex."  
  
"How are you leavin' here if I take your car?" She flicked one of her black braids out of the way.  
  
"I'll just get a new one. Go on." He gestured a bit, grinning widely.  
  
"Keys?" She held out her hand. "Or... did ya get it a lil less than honorably?"  
  
"I always have honor. I might have returned it if I hadn't totaled it, but go on ahead." He grinned at her.  
  
"I'm not askin'. I'll live longer..." Makoto muttered, readjusting her huge bag before leaving. She found the car where he said it was. "Totaled my ass... It's just a scratch." She shrugged, got in, and took off, trying to find somewhere she could get some new clothes and a few supplies before meeting her white haired partner.  
  
Duo spun to face the three women left in the room. "So, Missy Politics, what nickname would you like better?"  
  
Skeren laughed. "Just call me Sky. You might want to go."  
  
Zechs knocked on Treize's office, waiting until he heard the call to enter. "Sir, we've had contact from the Gundam pilots, and a time and place has been established."  
  
"By contact, I assume you mean Maxwell snuck on base and informed you of the time and place?" Treize said it with a smile.  
  
Zechs nodded once. "Yes, sir."  
  
"Is there something else, Zechs?" Treize wasn't sure what to make of the fact that Zechs seemed reluctant to leave his office.  
  
"No, nothing, Treize. It's the park in the south quarter of the city. The one with the pavilion at two PM." More delaying was clear by how he was parceling out the information.  
  
"Ah, thank you. I shall tell Une and Noin, but later. They both seem to be... detained... at the moment." Treize was watching Zechs with amusement.  
  
Zechs flushed. "Yes, well, as far as Noin is concerned. I think I should tell her, sir."  
  
"As you wish." Treize gestured that Zechs could go.  
  
Duo nodded to Skeren. "Of course, a pleasure, as always, dear ladies." He gave a flip bow, and then moved out the door. He thought he knew where Zechs went, and he'd much rather drop in himself to test his sincerity. He effectively stopped Zechs leaving that office too. "Hello again!"  
  
Zechs and Treize both blinked. "Good afternoon, Mister Maxwell," Treize said standing up to greet his guest. "How may I help you?"  
  
Duo grinned and shook his head a little. "Just testing the waters. If I get arrested, it won't exactly be the first time, see?"  
  
Treize inclined his head. "Ah, yes, I quite agree, but I don't think I will have you arrested this time. Is there something else I can help you with?"  
  
Duo moved to a chair and settled into it, giving Zechs a bright smile. "Do you pinch Zechsy over there on a regular basis?" Duo couldn't resist. After all, if Treize was going to be an ally, he wanted to see if he had a sense of humor.  
  
Treize gave a look to Zechs, which caused his lieutenant to stand straighter and remain silent. "Yes, on a very regular basis. It keeps him in line."  
  
"Must explain his lack of reaction then." Duo swung his feet, looking rather dainty sitting in that seat as he grinned at Treize. "Glad to see I don't have to teach all the new people how to have a sense of humor."  
  
Treize smiled in spite of himself. "What ever do you mean, Mr. Maxwell? We all have a sense of humor. But yours is a special brand."  
  
"Of course! There can only be one Duo Maxwell after all. You can spot a faker a mile away." Duo wasn't exactly relaxed, but he wasn't in a hurry either. If all else failed, he could go out the window.  
  
"Yes, but might I convince you not to provoke either Zechs or Colonel Une tomorrow?"  
  
Duo turned his head to look at Zechs. "But why? I bet I could figure out how to make 'em blush a great shade of red."  
  
"Oh, that is quite simple, and once we've become acquainted longer, I will tell you how." Treize laughed at Zechs' gurgled response. "My Lady is not quite happy with the meeting, so I ask you to expressly refrain from provoking her."  
  
Duo sighed and pouted a little. "Ah well, at least I can still bother Wufei!" A positively evil grin crossed his face. "You really should have heard the comment he made about you. He practically convinced me he was gay, and never saw how I was getting that message."  
  
"Excuse me?" Treize asked, feeling a bit bothered about that last comment of Duo's. "Chang is gay?"  
  
"More than likely not, but he sure has an interesting way of speaking at times when he refers to guys. Uses things that could easily be considered innuendo, but not when he talks about women. Don't mean to tell me you never talked to the guy before you beat him at swords did ya?"  
  
"I'm sorry to say I never had the chance. He was quite set on trying to take my head off with that saber of his," Treize said, amused by the memory.  
  
"Well, he did say that. He said he didn't want a woman; just that he wanted your head. That's how he always phrases it too." Duo's lips twitched and he glanced from one to the other. If they hadn't been enemies up till now, he could have made friends before. He liked them.  
  
"Yes, well.... He certainly has an interesting way of putting things," Treize said, and he could have sworn that he heard Zechs muttering about nasty Asians.  
  
Duo just grinned more widely. "How tall are you two anyway?"  
  
Treize blinked. "I am 181 cm. Zechs is 184 cm. May I ask why?" (A/N Treize is 5'11" Zechs is 6')  
  
Duo held his hands together. "Perfect. Thank you for sharing that bit of information with me."  
  
Zechs frowned. "What are you going to do with that information, Maxwell," he asked, moving around to stand a bit closer to Treize.  
  
Duo just grinned. "I really, really want to see under that mask sometime."  
  
Treize snorted. "Get in line behind a few thousand female members of our ranks."  
  
"I'm more clever than your soldiers. And I hate lines. Don't worry. I won't do anything but be my charming self." Duo then glanced back to Zechs before looking at Treize again. "Besides, Zechs might have an idea what he's in for. He heard my little comment about the Hentai pair in Noin's office. Sides, you guys are just right. I'd certainly like to think so anyway."  
  
"Just right?" Zechs asked, his deep voice seeming to crack.  
  
"Uh huh." Duo's grin widened.  
  
"Well... Since we have established the time and place, could you please pass my regards to Chang before we meet?" Treize said, standing. "I'm going to have lunch with Lady Une right now. Good day."  
  
Duo waggled his fingers at Treize. "Don't worry. I'll leave without blowing anything up!"  
  
"Good. I will take your word on that." Treize left the room in search of his second underling.  
  
Duo turned his full attention on Zechs. "You did understand what I was getting at, didn't you?"  
  
"I am not dense, Maxwell, and Hell would freeze over first," Zechs said, storming out of the office to find both Sally and Noin, but mostly to get away from that look that was lurking in the boy's eyes.  
  
"Yeah right, Blondie. We'll see who wins this little challenge, now won't we?" With that, Duo made his way off the base.  
  
In a different part of town.  
  
Makoto pulled the car into an empty lot an hour later, wiped her prints from the wheel, grabbed her bags from the backseat, shut the door, wiped the handle and walked the block and a half to the hotel. She waltzed inside the cool lobby, and made her way to the counter. She leaned over and smiled as she pulled down her sunglasses. "Excuse me, could you help me find the room Mr. Masterson is in?"  
  
"And whom might you be, Miss?" the deskman asked.  
  
"I would be MRS. Masterson, my good man."  
  
"Oh, excuse me. He did say that the room was for two. Room 405. Would you like a spare key?"  
  
"Yes, an thank ya, darlin'!" She took the key and breezed up towards the stairs, feeling the man's eyes on her as she walked. She'd get him later, the pervert. Makoto took the elevator on the second floor to the top floor (the fourth) and started to check the room numbers. They were fairly spaced apart, with only five on the whole floor, but 405 was farther back than the others. She put the key in the door and nearly dropped her packages when she opened it. They were staying in the penthouse suite. "RIKU????!!!!"  
  
Riku looked up from the couch where he was calmly reading a book. He was wearing a pair of snug indigo jeans and a sky blue T-shirt, also snug. "Yes?" he asked.  
  
"WHY IN THE SEVEN HELLS ARE WE STAYING IN THE PENTHOUSE???" she yelled, shutting the door behind her. "Need I remind you that we are assassins?" She looked around. "Nice though."  
  
Riku had obviously showered and slept and seemed to be in a good mood. "You said you wanted something nice." He gave a light shrug and smiled at her a little. "So, I obliged. Besides...it's so high profile, it's not expected of us." He shut his book and got up. "Are you ready? We have a lot of work to do."  
  
Makoto fumed before tossing one of the bags at him. "New work clothes. I'm goin' to change," she ground out, heading to the bedroom and slamming the door behind her. "And don't come in here. I'm showerin' first!!" she yelled through the door.  
  
"You're welcome," Riku replied after her and frowned. You make one nice gesture for the woman... He quickly changed into something a little more fitting. And black. He printed out the list of targets; there were five. One he'd give to Makoto alone; that was more her style and the others they could do together. After they went 'shopping', of course.  
  
Makoto stepped out of the shower, quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail at the back of her head, and pulled out the black cat suit and black ankle boots. She dressed quickly, strapping her katana to her back and trying to find a place for all her knives. When she was done, she came out into the sitting room. "Better... So, what we got here?"  
  
"Here's our latest job." Riku handed her the printout. "Five males, all work for Romefeller, 30k for the whole job. He gave us a week, but I told him we could get it done tonight, and he'd up the price to 50k."  
  
"Still low for five targets," she muttered, looking it over. "I want this one, and this one." She pointed to the third and fourth names on the list.  
  
"I'd like to hit the second one tonight, I've memorized his schedule, he visits the local bathhouse at approximately 2000 hours. We have just enough time for me to make," Riku licked his lips, "a deposit."  
  
Makoto snorted. "That's almost too easy. And a deposit would be nice."  
  
"I'll help you with those." Riku gestured to the list as he armed himself heavily and slipped on his long dark coat and buttoned it up.  
  
Makoto looked at Riku. "Is my trench still in your saddlebags?"  
  
Riku crossed the room and picked up his favorite new weapon. "I want to snipe that last one." he checked his gun once. "Yes, it is." He wrapped up the rifle and strapped it to his back so it was fairly inconspicuous. "Haven't had a chance to use my new toy yet." He grinned at Makoto.  
  
Makoto smiled. "My new toy from Sky is beggin' to be used... Nothin' like a lovely new toy."  
  
"C'mon. Let's go." Riku tucked his phone into an inner pocket, setting it on vibrate as he led the way back out to the hallway to a side door and kicked it open. He disabled the alarm and started to walk down the metal frame. Best not to let the hotel staff know you were armed.  
  
Makoto followed on silent feet, smirking at the efficient way Riku handled the hotel's security. There was a reason she teamed up with him, and now she remembered it. They reached the bottom of the stairs quickly and were outside. Riku hopped on his bike and waited for Makoto to climb on as he started the engine, his first stop already in mind. United Alliance Bank.  
  
When they reached the bike, Makoto grabbed her trench coat out of the saddlebags, put it on, and climbed on behind the man. "Lead the way, hon'."  
  
"With pleasure," Riku drawled and sped off.  
  
Riku arrived at the bank within a matter of minutes and hopped off. "Oi, can I borrow that knife of yours again?" he asked holding out a hand while his other went after his phone.  
  
Makoto pulled the knife from her boot and handed it to Riku. "'Course," she said getting off the bike and repositioning her weaponry. She felt almost alive with her trench coat on.  
  
"Much obliged, Ma'am," Riku said, taking a perfect Texan accent as he walked up to the bank's lone ATM. He quickly inserted a phony card, then tore off the button pad and spliced some wires before connecting them to his phone. He smiled at Makoto as she came next to him. "These men are going to be dead in a few hours. I doubt they need the money, right?"  
  
Makoto snickered. "'Course not, darlin'. Almost makes up for the shitty price that piece of shit tried to offer us," she said, clenching one fist. "I can't believe ya accepted that."  
  
"I only accepted it for this." Riku pointed as the ATM slot opened up and cash started pouring out. "Three of them alone are worth over threemillion." Riku pulled out a black bag and started filling it up as money continued to pour out.  
  
"Ok, that's more like it. I assume you checked up on 'em before you said yes? First time he called me, I told him to take his 30k and shove it up his retarded ass."  
  
"I simply told him I'd get back to him." Riku had easily pocketed over a million now, all in thousands. "Get that other sack off my bike will you? This one's full."  
  
Makoto snatched the other bag and handed it to Riku. "I'm thinking of some place good we can eat tonight. Got any ideas?"  
  
"Not the place I destroyed," Riku commented with a smirk as he finished draining the accounts. "There. How do you feel about breaking into that new computer store? I could use some new parts." He pulled out the wires from his phone and attached them to a small bomb as he taped it to the side to get rid of his prints.  
  
"Computer store sounds fine. I need a new whet stone, but I can buy that later."  
  
"Buy?" Riku gave her a look. "This is my money." He teased.  
  
"Right, just like the last job was my money," Makoto replied with a small laugh.  
  
"I'm the one who thought this scheme up," Riku replied with a small laugh himself. "Alright, one mil, but you owe me a favor." He was still teasing as he hoped onto his bike and patted the seat behind him.  
  
Makoto climbed on behind him. "Favor? And tha' would be what, 'xactly?"  
  
"You know what." Riku smirked over his shoulder and gunned the bike, heading for the computer store, which would be closed now.  
  
Makoto laughed as he pulled off. "Maybe I do..."  
  
It didn't take much time for Riku to reach the computer store. He parked his bike in dark alleyway. "How fast can you be?" He asked as he put on latex gloves. "Oh yeah. Here." He tossed Mako a pair as he picked up a brick.  
  
Makoto ignored the latex things and pulled on her leather gloves. "'Pends. How fast ya need me?" She winked.  
  
Riku smirked and rolled his eyes. "Fast enough to get what you want and get out before the locals arrive. I don't want to bother with the alarms." He tossed the brick back and forth to himself.  
  
"You know we're faster tha' 'em anyway, but yeah. I can." She made sure her pockets were as empty as possible before looking. "Ready."  
  
Riku tossed the brick through the window and kicked the rest of the glass out. The alarm took a minute to go off, but by that time, Riku was already half done. "Don't use the door," he called to Makoto.  
  
Riku took what he needed, filling up his backpack and climbing back out the broken window to his bike. It looked like they were going to have to stop back at the hotel again before going on their job. He checked his watch. They still had time.  
  
Makoto rolled her eyes before jumping through the window. She snatched up a few extra pieces for her phone, a small laptop and a few other things, shoving them into her coat as quickly as possible. It was amazing how fast she could be when she wanted to. She hopped back on the bike and laughed. "Let's go, boy!"  
  
"Boy?" Riku questioned and took off for the hotel again.  
  
"You're younger than I am," she said sassily. "Think we might need to stop back though. This stuff is heavy."  
  
"Yeah, that's where I'm going." Riku pulled up to the hotel a few moments later. He frowned as he looked up at the hotel. "Fire escape," he said with a little shrug and headed that way.  
  
Makoto snorted as she followed. "No, we're gonna walk through the front door with all this crap."  
  
"Well... If you really want to." Riku turned around and starting heading that way.  
  
Makoto grabbed his jacket's collar. "Don't be an ass," she hissed, hopping on the fire escape's ladder and climbing up as quickly as she could.  
  
Riku snickered behind her and followed her up. Once they were back inside the hotel suite, Riku stripped of his trench coat. "I really don't think I need this for those next jobs... Do I?" He re-tied his sniper rifle to his back. He put away his newly thieved goods on the coffee table; he'd upgrade his computer later. It was almost 2000 hours now.  
  
Makoto had a thoughtful look on her face. "Not if your gonna snipe, but I like a little face to face action." She dumped her goods on a nearby chair. "Let's go... My hand's itchin'..."  
  
"The snipe will be my last job," Riku said.  
  
"Alright, let's go." He had turned from playful to his cold melancholy demeanor once again as he went back out the fire escape.  
  
Makoto smiled coldly and followed, reaching one hand behind her to pat her sword. "Who's first?"  
  
"Second name," Riku replied, already on his way down and back to his bike in a moment. "I don't think I'll need your help with this one, but I'd appreciate the backup."  
  
"Intimidation tactics, Riky? I thought tha' was beneath us..."  
  
"Intimidation? Really? What do you take me for? And don't call me Riky. My name is Riku." He got on his bike and started the engine.  
  
Makoto got back on, laying her head against his back. "But it's cute! Kawaii desu yo, Riky-kun!"  
  
"Koroshite aru," Riku commented as he drove off heading for the bathhouse.  
  
"Dun be so touchy, Riku... I let you call me Mako.... Sheesh, you're no fun sometimes."  
  
"I'll be fun later," Riku replied, with a light shrug, knowing Makoto would feel it.  
  
Makoto giggled. "Oh, I know ya will... Let's just get this over with. I haven't slept in a bed in four days."  
  
"The king size bed is rather nice," Riku commented as he parked the bike and just waited. His eyes were narrow as he waited for his target to walk in. "That's him," he said to Makoto in low tones.  
  
Makoto shed her coat. "You want me to distract him, or what?"  
  
Riku pulled out his Walter PPK and attached a silencer. He lifted his dark sweater and placed the gun in his waistband. He hopped off his bike. "Nope. Just make sure you keep the clerk distracted by any means necessary until we're out of the building." Riku walked up to the door and paused, waiting for his partner. "Kill him if he gets too suspicious," he added quietly once she was next to him and opened the door and walked in as if he owned the place.  
  
Makoto slipped off the bike, making sure every move she made oozed sex as she smiled. "Will do." She waltzed through the door and up to the desk. "Hello, there," she said in a low voice, making sure her tight cat suit was in plain view of the plain looking man. "I was wonderin' if you could help me..."  
  
Riku calmly walked into the back area and scanned around. There. He walked up to the man and stood behind him. "Jack Cunningham?" he asked, his tone neutral.  
  
Jack Cunningham turned around, "Yes?" he asked. Riku calmly pulled out his gun and fired two rounds into the man's chest. All hell broke loose in the bathhouse as Riku calmly turned around and walked towards the entrance. He nodded at Makoto and left the building.  
  
Loud screams came as another clerk ran into the front lobby and yelled, "A man's just been shot!"  
  
The clerk tried to follow Riku, but Makoto sidestepped over to him. "Please, ya see, I think I got this eyelash in my eye. Could ya check for me?" she asked sweetly, snatching a small dagger and shoving it between the man's ribs. "Too easy," she whispered, dragging the limp body behind the counter and propping him up in a sleeping position.  
  
"Eep!" The clerk shrieked when he saw his co-worker and Makoto glaring at him.  
  
"Shit," she hissed, taking out another dagger and hitting the man in his throat. She ran as fast as she could to the bike. "FUCK!" She got on the back. "Remind me to not go there anymore." Riku just nodded and gunned the bike back down to their next target.  
  
A place near Nataku.  
  
Duo found his way back to his current partner, appropriating another vehicle for exactly that purpose and sneaking the rest of the way, only to pop in on his meditation. "Wufei!"  
  
Wufei startled from his present state and nearly throttled the braided menace. "What?" he growled.  
  
Duo laughed a bit, sitting back up from where he'd been knocked over, having stumbled in his dodge. "I'm baaaack. Nobody even tried to arrest me. In fact, Treize even said to 'Pass along his regards.' What's with you two anyway? He almost seemed disappointed you weren't going to try to kill him."  
  
Wufei snarled. "I could change my mind about that, but I'd much rather kill the spawn woman. Is there something else you wanted? Or did you just come to annoy me, Maxwell?"  
  
"I live to serve." Duo grinned at him, leaning up against the tree Wufei was sitting under. "I think they mean to go through with this tomorrow."  
  
"That's commendable," Wufei said dryly, crossing his arms across his chest. "I feel uneasy about this."  
  
Duo tilted his head, leaning in to study Wufei a bit. "It's not Treize-boy that has you uneasy, is it?"  
  
"No. I can see the reason he would team with us. It is the fact that there are people like the ones in Romefeller."  
  
"There are always people like that. You didn't grow up for this kinda life at all, didja?" Duo settled into a sitting position beside Wufei, not looking at him, but off to the side. "I mean, you didn't even know about L2, where you'd see people like what Romefeller seems to be everyday."  
  
Wufei scoffed. "Hardly. I grew up in on L5. We at least have honor and dignity when we conduct business."  
  
"Well, there you go, 'Fei man. Those things aren't exactly commodities. Now, thievery, back stabbing and trickery, those are easy to find where I come from, and in most other places too."  
  
"So it would seem," Wufei replied, closing his eyes. "How do people like that come into power? At least, from what I've seen, Khushrenada has some sense of honor behind his motives."  
  
Duo laughed a bit, and shook his head as he looked back to Wufei. "You're joking, right? It's way easier to get into power if you cheat your way there. I'm shocked Treize has gotten as far as he has alive."  
  
Wufei glared at Duo. "I was never involved in politics, nor did I care to study them in school. I preferred languages and cultures"  
  
"Politics are a big part of culture, Mr. Chang, or did you try to avoid that tidbit?" Duo hadn't ever used Wufei's last name that he could remember.  
  
Wufei snorted. "No, I did pay attention to that. What I meant, Mr. Maxwell, was ancient cultures. I am a history scholar."  
  
Duo looked a bit surprised, but then nodded. "Alright then. Why don't you ever get my old movie references then? The media industry was a huge part of the twentieth century culture."  
  
"I didn't like the twentieth century. It's too much like now," Wufei stated, standing up.  
  
Duo smiled a bit. "I know. That's why I liked it. Things got better before they got worse. Just... You think we can end this war, right? Even if history really does repeat itself, then that means things can improve again. Right?"  
  
"Possibly," Wufei said, shooting a look over at Duo. He didn't like the almost pleading tone in his voice. "It depends on if the people are ready for that change."  
  
Duo nodded a little. "We'll make them ready then. Because people shouldn't have to die anymore like the things I've seen." His voice was soft and then he smiled over at Wufei, having gotten an answer he could live with.  
  
"You can't force the world to change, Duo. They have to come to that conclusion themselves. That's one of the things I have learned myself." He hung his head, refusing to look at the other boy.  
  
"You can, Wufei. There just isn't any other way for some people to see these things. I think that's what this whole meeting is about. It took something serious to cause one important person to see what had to be done." Duo turned a little, looking a direction away from Wufei.  
  
"Yes, well, there are extenuating circumstances this time. Not everyone will be willing to go quietly."  
  
"Anything is better than slaughters of children, don't you think?" Duo's voice was soft and he shook his head, drawing in a breath. "This is a good first step. Besides, I think Treize has a good sense of humor."  
  
"Nothing is lower than killing children, except for raising them to kill one another," Wufei all but shouted. "You spoke to Treize about a sense of humor?"  
  
Duo shook his head. "I actually spoke to him about Zechs and managed to panic the blond. And killing children in the way's I've seen is lower than raising them to kill, got it?" Duo took a deep breath. "Treize played right along with my teasing Zechs actually."  
  
"Treize and you teased Marquise?" Wufei shook his head in mock disbelief. "Will wonders never cease? Did you see anyone else while there?"  
  
"Yep! Relena, who has given up pursuit of Heero for, and I quote, 'The Lady Angel', Dorothy, The woman you want to murder, Skeren, her being miss politics. And, that's it, I think."  
  
Wufei growled. "The half-Japanese... woman?"  
  
"Yes, her. She looked rather intimidated and quiet by the time I got there though. Looked less comfy than I was in the base."  
  
"I doubt it with her," Wufei replied calmly, trying to resist the urge for his sword.  
  
"Awww, c'mon Wufei, you'll be seeing her tomorrow. Don't let her bug you now okay?" Duo bounced a little, leaning forward to look up into Wufei's face.  
  
Wufei scowled. "Per-son-al space, Maxwell. Look it up."  
  
"No. Sometimes I like to be ignorant, thank you very much." Duo smirked, poking Wufei in the chest. "You want space, then lean back away from me."  
  
Wufei walked away from Duo. "As you please. I'm going somewhere to get some peace, since it obviously isn't here with you." He got in his Gundam and took off as soon as the engines were warm.  
  
Duo let his smile drop and shook his head, peering off in the direction that he'd taken off in. "I get it, Wufei. I won't ask you to look deeper. Looks like I've run through all my options, but that's cool. Hope the new guys like what they see better, eh?"  
  
An alleyway in the city.  
  
Riku stopped the bike in another alleyway. "You want to take the next target?" he asked, calm as ever.  
  
"Yes," Makoto nearly hissed. "Damn place had a gay guy as the clerk. Need to take my frustration out." She got off the bike. "John Layfield, right?"  
  
Riku nodded. "No. 3, you require my backup?" he asked. He remained on his bike, but turned off the engine.  
  
Makoto thought for a moment. "He's 57? Old... Straight... Money hungry? No, no back up... I think I want this one's heart. You wanna watch though?"  
  
"I'd be delighted," Riku replied with an almost perverse smile as he climbed off his bike. "Lead the way."  
  
Makoto smiled, and sauntered up to the door, before knocking. "Who is it?" The reply seemed uninterested.  
  
Makoto cleared her throat and came up with a Japanese accent. "Delivery for Meesta Rayfierd..."  
  
"We didn't order anything."  
  
"Package say this addless..."  
  
"Very well." The door opened to reveal an older man, and Makoto smiled before snatching her sword out of its scabbard.  
  
"Thank ya for openin' the door, honey." That was the last thing he heard before she pushed him down into the hallway and lopped his head off. "Effective and predictable."  
  
"Gruesome," Riku commented.  
  
Makoto then pulled out the new knife Skeren had given her, and preceded to cut the man's heart out with a surgeon's precision. "You ain't seen nothin'. Give me somethin' to wrap this bad boy with."  
  
Riku pulled out two latex gloves. "These do?" He asked as he handed them to her, a little disgusted. This wasn't his style.  
  
She snorted. "They'll do." She put them on, not wanting to stain her leather ones, and heard a dog bark in the back yard. "I think Spot's hungry." She headed to the back yard, tossed the still beating heart out the back window, and snatched the ring off the old man's hand. "I think Sky will like this pretty."  
  
"Ugh," Riku commented at the body, wrinkling his face a little.  
  
She kicked the body and threw the gloves in the trash as she headed back to the motorcycle. "You said you wanted to watch."  
  
Riku squirmed as he hopped back on his bike. "That was more blood than I expected. On to No. 4?"  
  
"I called that one too, didn't I? I think I need another bag though." She rummaged around her pockets until she found a canvas bag. "Perfect. Let's go."  
  
Riku took off again, more slowly this time, feeling a little sick. He may have been an assassin, but he didn't like to stick around and look at bloody bodies. He preferred to either kill with his bare hands, or blow something up.  
  
"This time, you don't have to come. I need to get somethin' from this one though. I know him personally," she replied, all humor gone. "Just stay on the bike. This is why they don't like me." Riku nodded and left the engine running. Makoto slipped in through a side window, surprised at the light security for someone so high profile. She found the man in his study. "Hello, Mr. Bishop. I have a response for you finally," she said coldly, kicking him in the groin and then chopping his head off quickly. "That is my answer, you old pervert." She then pulled out the canvas bag, carved the man's heart out and chopped off his genitalia. "Skeren can add you to her collection." She dumped both things into the bag and climbed out the window again. "Let's go," she said as she got back on.  
  
"Fast as always." Riku commented and roared the bike off in another direction. He grinned. Now it was time for a little kaboom.  
  
"You know me. I only play when it comes to other things. This is business."  
  
Riku parked out side of a small office. "I'll need your help with this one." He climbed off and pulled out three small charges. "Attach this to the curbside window, after I've placed the others." Riku tossed one to Makoto and carried the other three as he walked around the back of the building.  
  
Makoto stared at the charge and smiled. Riku always did prefer bombs and guns to her swords and knives. Effective yes, but not a whole lot of fun. She liked getting her hands dirty in their blood.  
  
Riku placed the bombs in the back and walked back around and nodded at Makoto, as he climbed on his bike. She waited for the signal and when he gave it to her, she carefully placed the charge and climbed back on the bike. Riku parked the bike at another side street facing the office. "Watch this." His voice was highly amused, like a child with a new toy at Christmas. There were two loud explosions followed by a delayed shorter one from the front of the building as the place went up in flames moments later. "Fuck...how I love C4."  
  
Makoto smiled as she watched the building explode and go up in flames. "It's like the 4th of July back home," she whispered, feeling in awe as she watched.  
  
Riku looked at his watch. "We have some spare time before I use my latest toy. How about some dinner?"  
  
"Why not?" She looked at her watch. It was barely 2300 hours. "Now you know why I stay away from meat? I see too much of it already."  
  
Riku nodded in agreement. "It's work," he commented and he sped off for a restaurant he knew would be open at this hour.  
  
**To be continued.**


	6. Chapter 6 lime

**Title:** Reservations For Sanity  
**Authors:** Skeren Dreamera, Makoto Sagara, and Bagelbunion   
**Category:** AU, Shounen ai, Het, Action/Adventure  
**Pairings:** 4 plus 1, 3 plus 5 plus 3, 2 plus 6, R plus11, OCxOC, very subject to change  
**Rating:** R  
**Spoilers:** Yes, Romefeller, Wufei's EpZero Story, Duo's EpZero Story  
  
**Warnings:** shounen ai, shoujo ai, het, language, violence, OOC, AU timeline from Antarctica on, angst, crazy muses and authors, too little sleep?   
  
**Disclaimers:** All we own are our original characters and the story line. Everything else belongs to this hideously long list of companies with lots of lawyers who could get our pennies. So, seeing as how that's been said, please don't sue. Mako needs to save her money to move to Texas!! We sure as hell don't get any money off of this...Just have fun.   
  
**Notes:** Trowa and Wufei do some... courting. Makoto and Riku continue their jobs and head off for some fun. Relena and Zechs share a tender brother- sister moment.  
**P.S. to Fanfiction-dot-net readers:** The explicit scene for this chapter can be found at www. makotosagara/ frames/ fanfiction .html (Just take out the spaces)  
  
**Begin part six**  
  
Duo returned to the newer, closer safe house hours later. Just because the others never saw him calm and quiet, didn't mean he didn't enjoy some time without his mask on. He was the last one in.  
  
Wufei was in his room, silently reading, but not really paying attention to the words on the page. He heard Duo enter the safe house and walked out to see the braided boy. "Duo."  
  
Trowa was in the kitchen quietly humming to himself as he made some cookies.  
  
Duo quirked a smile the moment he saw a sign of life. "Hiya, Feidinkles!"  
  
Wufei scowled at the nickname. "Must you butcher my name?"  
  
Duo tipped his head and turned his smile into a wide grin. "Yes, I must. You are entirely too serious at times, so I must prevent it."  
  
"May I speak to you..." He shot a look at the kitchen. "Privately?"  
  
Duo tipped his head. "Certainly. Do lead on, hm? Oh! How do you like this nickname, mini-master?"  
  
Wufei just shook his head. "Be serious. Please," he said, motioning for Duo to follow him back to his room. He paused a moment in front of the room Heero and Quatre were in, and could hear voices, so he continued.  
  
"But seriousness doesn't get me anywhere." Duo shook his head, tisking a bit, though his smile was smaller as he followed after Wufei.  
  
Wufei closed the door behind the braided boy and made a sign for him to sit as he perched on the edge of his bed, feeling stupid and nervous for the first time.  
  
Duo went and perched on the bed as well, sensing the need for silence, so he was. He knew when to be quiet, contrary to popular belief.  
  
Wufei was grateful for the silence, as it gave him time to think over what to say. "Duo... do you prefer male company to that of females?"  
  
Duo tilted his head. "How do you mean?"  
  
"I'm not sure... If given the choice, would you rather have male friends or female?"  
  
"Any friends. They're hard enough to get, why distinguish? If that's not what you mean though, just say so." Duo looked back at Wufei.  
  
"It's not... Not really."  
  
"Then spit it out my friend, you'll get your answer faster." He had no secrets in this field and didn't see a reason to keep them.  
  
"Are you... do you prefer to sleep with males?" Wufei felt dumb as he said it, and flushed a few shades of red.  
  
Duo smiled. "Yes, I do. I haven't slept with anyone just yet though. Does that bother you?"  
  
"No..." he said quietly, blushing deeper while silently berating himself for being weak, but unable to stop it. "How did you know that you preferred... men?"  
  
"I saw a naked woman and cringed." Duo felt his lips twitching, but he couldn't help it. "I couldn't help thinking that she looked disfigured down below."  
  
"Disfigured?" Wufei felt a bit better, but was curious as to why the other felt that way.  
  
"Just intrinsically wrong that there was nothing sticking out down there. Now another guy..." Duo shrugged. "No problems what so ever."  
  
Wufei was quiet for a moment, trying to digest that information. "Is there anyone... that has... sparked your attention particularly?" Oh, he was not doing well. He was feeling a bit faint the longer he talked.  
  
"Few people. Why do you think I freaked Zechs out?" Duo shook his head. "He figured out I was flirting."  
  
Wufei snorted. "Weren't you?"  
  
"I was. Also issued a challenge to him. No way in hell, pah. We'll see." Duo smirked.  
  
Wufei had to smile himself. If there was one thing he knew about the American, it was that he loved a challenge. "So... how would one, hypothetically, go about trying to show their affection for someone of the same sex?"  
  
"Show them that you are interested." Duo promptly answered this.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Do you not understand the concept of flirting, Wufei?" Duo just looked at him.  
  
"Am I you?" He glared. "No. It's not done in my culture."  
  
"Precisely. This means someone would have to be blind not to see you trying to flirt." Duo waved a hand a bit as though to indicate 'see?'  
  
Wufei shook his head. "I have no idea... Maxwell..." He sighed, feeling old and shy at the same time. "I was married before I piloted Nataku."  
  
"Oh, well... How did you flirt with her? Did you flirt with her?" Duo seemed to flounder a bit here.  
  
"I didn't. I didn't even want to marry her, and she felt the same way about me. It was an arranged marriage."  
  
"I see." Duo eyed Wufei. "Okay, why don't you just try telling them you like them then?"  
  
"I'm just... not good with emotions. My family was very traditional. There was little physical contact between us, and little of what you would call affection."  
  
"Ah. Well, if it makes you feel better I didn't have anyone I could ask about this at all." Duo smiled at him a little, though it was faintly lopsided.  
  
"That is a small comfort," Wufei replied dryly, his lips quirking into a very small smile. "What if they do not reciprocate my... Gah! What if they don't like me?"  
  
"Then they don't like you. You could use my approach and pursue anyway, but that doesn't always turn out so well, and if you get too extreme... Enter Ojousan."  
  
Wufei shuddered. "That would never happen!"  
  
Duo laughed quietly. "That's the spirit."  
  
Wufei scowled, not comforted in the least. He wasn't even sure of himself, let alone telling someone else. "This is just... too damned complicated."  
  
There was a quiet knock on the door. Wufei stood and opened the door, flushing as he noticed Trowa there in the doorway. "Yes, Barton?"  
  
"I made some cookies. Would you like some?" Trowa asked, pointing back towards the kitchen as he spoke.  
  
Duo turned around, watching the interaction with interest, not to mention Wufei's response.  
  
Wufei blushed a deeper shade of red. "No... thank you." He added the last bit a mite quickly.  
  
"No? I made them myself, and they are rather good."  
  
"I am sure they are excellent, but no thank you," Wufei said, his voice a bit shaky. "Perhaps you could tempt Maxwell..."  
  
Duo got up, coming up behind Wufei. "He's just being silly. He'd love some."  
  
Wufei glared at Duo. It was his 'I hate you, why can't you just die' glare.  
  
"Duo?" Trowa balked a little bit. He didn't know Duo was in there.  
  
Wufei's head shot around as Trowa spoke. "No, it's not like that..." he said hastily. "We were just talking about something that happened with Winner." Wufei glared at Duo again, daring him to call him a liar.  
  
Duo nodded a bit. "Yes, Duo. I was just on my way anyway. Wufei, don't worry about me. I can fix it all by myself, I promise. Go ahead and get some cookies." Then, he slipped off down the hall to his room, peeking out to see if Wufei did as indicated.  
  
"Not like what?" Trowa blinked looking after Duo. It had gone completely over his head. He just didn't want Duo to know he'd made cookies.  
  
"Nothing," Wufei said hurriedly, sidestepping Trowa and into the hallway. "You were saying?"  
  
"They're chocolate chip," Trowa said with a small smile as he led Wufei back to the kitchen.  
  
Wufei followed silently behind Trowa, avoiding looking at the other boy, and opting for staring at his shoes. "Oh?"  
  
Duo snorted. "He needs the help bad."  
  
"You don't need to worry so much," Trowa commented. "I didn't lace them with anything. They are just cookies."  
  
"I wasn't... worried about that," Wufei said, in a quiet, small voice.  
  
"Then, what were you worried about?" Trowa sat down at the table and helped himself to a cookie, watching Wufei's face.  
  
Duo followed them to the kitchen, peeking in without them seeing him.  
  
Wufei looked at the cookies, unsure of what to do. "Nothing... major, I suppose." He took a cookie and stared at it before biting into it. Secretly, Wufei loved chocolate chip cookies, though he avoided eating them because they were a luxury.  
  
Duo smiled a bit, mumbling to himself. "Praise them."  
  
"Good. Huh?" Trowa asked.  
  
Quatre slipped out of the room he was in with Heero, and found Duo watching something in the kitchen. He quietly moved to stand next to the braided teen. "What are you doing, Duo?"  
  
"Watching Wufei try desperately not to faint under Trowa's direct attention." Duo whispered it lowly.  
  
"What?" Quatre asked quietly. "Why would he do that?"  
  
"Yes. Very," Wufei said after he swallowed, flushing a little more.  
  
"I thought you'd like them," Trowa commented, lowering his voice significantly as he gave Wufei a warm smile.  
  
"Thank you," Wufei responded, taking a glass from the cabinet and filling it with tap water. He then downed the whole glass without taking a breath.  
  
Trowa got up and put a hand on Wufei's shoulder. "You alright?" he asked, his brow furrowed.  
  
"He likes him. Shh, he doesn't know I followed him down here after I went to my room." He peered into the room a bit further.  
  
"Wufei... likes... Trowa? That's too much," Quatre whispered, trying to watch as well.  
  
Duo moved Quatre so they could both see through the crack, the blond kneeling to look.  
  
"Look at that. Trowa's nearly seducing Wufei," Quatre hissed.  
  
Wufei felt a bit uneasy at the sudden invasion of his personal space. "I'm fine." He filled his glass again.  
  
"You know...if you were thirsty, I could've made some juice or something to go with the cookies," Trowa commented, his tone completely neutral, although he was still smiling with just the barest of turns to his lips.  
  
"That is fine. I will just have water. Thank you."  
  
Heero walked into the living room and padded over to the pair, tapping Quatre's shoulder and looking at him questioningly.  
  
Quatre turned around and glared at Heero. 'Wufei and Trowa, courting,' he mouthed, going back to watching them.  
  
"Suit yourself." Trowa sat back down at the table and helped himself to another cookie. He looked over at the door, and his expression soured. He cleared his throat.  
  
Heero then joined the other two, peering through the cracks, and muttering lowly. "About time." Quatre elbowed him. Heero noted that Trowa saw them and moved away, tugging the other two with him. Duo realized what happened and headed back for his room.  
  
Wufei whirled around to see why Trowa had made the noise and heard the sound of retreating footsteps. "Thank you," he muttered, making to leave the kitchen and strangle Duo.  
  
Heero tugged at Quatre again, noting that he wasn't moving.  
  
Trowa made a mental note to pay a favor to Heero and turned back around to Wufei. "Are you busy later?" he asked as he rose up again to follow Wufei. The boy just seemed to want to avoid him lately.  
  
"Later? No, I suppose..." He stopped mid-sentence, and then looked at Trowa with a puzzled expression. "Why?"  
  
"I thought you might like to..." Trowa paused. He hadn't actually think Wufei would agree! "Work on... something." He moved across the room, walked to the door, and pulled it shut behind him. Now, Wufei and he were in the kitchen alone, and Wufei's exit was cut off.  
  
Heero gave Quatre a bit of a pull, barely stopping the blonde from having his nose caught. Quatre rubbed at his nose and turned to Heero. "Let's go," he whispered. "You're going to entertain me now." He grinned impishly and dragged Heero back upstairs.  
  
Heero looked at Quatre in shock. "I am?"  
  
"Work... on... something?" Wufei asked suspiciously. "What?"  
  
Quatre turned around to smile again. "You are."  
  
"How's that?" Heero was at a loss.  
  
"Do I really have to tell you?" Quatre asked, pushing Heero up against the wall, a devilish smirk across his lips and his eyes burning lustfully.  
  
Heero's eyes widened a bit. This was highly unanticipated. "Quatre?"  
  
"Yes?" Quatre purred, leaning in close to the brown haired boy. So close he could kiss him if he wanted.  
  
"What... Are you doing?" It was a nervous question, not a clueless one.  
  
"What I've wanted to for a while," Quatre replied, closing the distance and placing his lips upon Heero's.  
  
Heero was still for a long moment, not moving immediately. When he finally did, it was to just relax on a sigh of breath.  
  
Quatre smirked. He had won, but just barely. "Heero... you don't have to, but please?"  
  
Heero gave Quatre a little smile. "What are you asking for?"  
  
"Oh, you know... Fun... You interested?"  
  
Heero bit at his lower lip a little, and then glanced to the side. "I don't know about that..."  
  
Quatre smiled at Heero's nervousness. It was cute, and endearing. "We can go slow," he whispered, lifting a hand to twine his fingers in the boy's hair.  
  
Duo glanced out his door and blinked as he saw Heero and Quatre, quietly closing it again before moving to his bed and sitting on it. "Well, damn. Guess I'm stuck with my choices now." He made sure to speak softly enough that the pair in the hall couldn't hear.  
  
Heero ducked his head a tad, pinks (ears or cheeks) turning the lightest shade of pink noticeable. "I'd like that."  
  
Quatre moved his head up until their lips touched again. "Do you like me, Heero?"  
  
Heero shuffled a foot a little. "I do."  
  
"Good," Quatre whispered, taking Heero's hand once more. "Come with me."  
  
Heero looked back at Quatre and squeezed the hand in his own, giving Quatre a faint smile before his confidence managed to reassert itself. He was really only so cold because he was shy.  
  
Quatre squeezed Heero's hand back, saving the smile in the back of his mind. He was planning on getting a lot more than that, eventually, from the quiet boy, but he was willing to go as slow as possible.  
  
Heero nodded back at Quatre, a bit more relaxed than he had been before. "What do you intend?"  
  
Quatre smiled. "Nothing major right now, but you are coming in a room with me," he said, shutting the door to his room as they entered. He walked up to the other boy and kissed him gently again.  
  
Heero let Quatre kiss him, remaining still before leaning into it a bit, eyes fluttering closed. Tentative though it was. He could try this with Quatre...  
  
Quatre silently cheered as Heero relaxed, and he wrapped his arms around his neck, applying more pressure.  
  
Heero rested his hands lightly on Quatre's sides and returned it for a moment longer, before pulling back.  
  
Quatre let Heero pull back, and smiled, waiting for Heero's reaction. When none came, he became worried. "Heero?"  
  
Heero inclined his head a little, looking back at Quatre and moving one hand to rest against Quatre's cheek fully for a brief moment. "Thank you." Then, he stepped back and slipped from the room.  
  
Quatre slumped to the floor as Heero left. What the hell had he done wrong? He'd planned everything out, and it had been going splendidly until Heero had pulled away from him. Quatre had to take a moment to think about the subtle actions. Heero's look had been warm. Heero was pleased, just uncomfortable, with the closeness. Really, the hand he'd rested against Quatre's cheek seemed more intimate than the light kiss.  
  
Sighing at the loss, but grinning at what he'd gained by his display of dominance, Quatre happily got ready for bed. He walked out into the hall, and stopped in front of Heero's room. He thought for a moment, but continued on to the bathroom. He'd take things as slow as Heero needed.  
  
The kitchen.  
  
"My Gundam?" Trowa offered, at a loss for words.  
  
"What is wrong with Heavyarms?" Wufei felt a bit uneasy being alone in the kitchen with Trowa right then.  
  
"I broke...it?" Trowa tried again and then sighed. "Actually, you wanna chase Maxwell and threaten his life? Or his braid?" Trowa was having a hard time trying to think of something the Chinese pilot was interested in.  
  
"No," Wufei said, feeling a bit more uneasy. "Trowa... what is this about?"  
  
"Nothing. Nevermind. I'm going to chase him, however," Trowa replied and opened the kitchen door and left.  
  
Wufei watched the other boy go, confused as hell. His head screamed at him to chase the other boy, and he absently did so, grabbing the lanky boy's arm as he caught up.  
  
"Yes?" Trowa asked as he turned around to face Wufei.  
  
"... What were you trying to ask me?" Wufei nearly blurted out. "Why did you invite me to have some of your cookies?"  
  
"I thought you might like some." Trowa just shrugged a little. His expression had gone completely blank again.  
  
Wufei didn't know why he did what he did next, but he stood on his tiptoes and kissed the other boy.  
  
Trowa was too surprised to do anything and just blinked at Wufei.  
  
Wufei stepped back as if he'd been stung. "I'm sorry," he whispered, trying to leave the room immediately.  
  
Trowa grabbed his arm. "No, it's alright." He was visibly shaken, however, and couldn't quite meet Wufei's eyes. He blinked a few more times, took a deep breath, and looked back at Wufei. "So... you did like the cookies...right?"  
  
Wufei resisted the urge to shake the taller boy off, and looked up at him. "Yes."  
  
"Aa. I will make them again for you sometime then." Trowa smiled a little, still a bit shaken up by the unexpected action.  
  
Wufei blushed. "Thank you."  
  
Trowa smiled. "Next time, giving me a little warning." Suddenly, he looked worried. "There will be a next time..." Trowa looked both ways to make sure they were alone. "Right?"  
  
Wufei's head shot up. "You... you didn't hate it?"  
  
"Of course not." Trowa replied, grinning at Wufei, as his hand slid down to clutch Wufei's and squeeze. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Wufei's cheek before pulling back. Still smiling. "Just surprised me."  
  
"Oh," Wufei said in a small voice, liking the way Trowa's larger hand felt around his smaller one. Then, a thought occurred to him. "Can... I do it again?"  
  
"Why don't we go someplace more private?" Trowa asked, looking around the room again. "I don't want anymore peeping toms."  
  
Wufei felt his heart start to beat madly. "Where?"  
  
Trowa cocked a head towards Wufei's room. "Your room?" he said softly, his voice dropping to an almost whisper.  
  
"Okay," Wufei replied after a moment of thought. He didn't know where this sudden burst of courage came from, but he was damned if he was going to let Trowa go.  
  
Trowa squeezed Wufei's hand again and laced their fingers together. He tugged Wufei down the hall to Chinese boy's room and pulled him in, shutting the door behind him. He smiled gently at Wufei and reached out with his other hand to take Wufei's smaller hand in his own.  
  
Wufei allowed the banged teen to take his hand and he moved closer to him, feeling shy again, but wanting to kiss the other once more.  
  
"You wanted to kiss me again?" Trowa asked as he tilted his head up a little from Wufei. He had grown and was nearly five inches taller than the smaller Chinese pilot.  
  
Wufei swallowed and nodded mutely, ignoring the way his stomach was flopping around in his body.  
  
Trowa leaned over Wufei, smiling playfully at him, showing a strange show of emotion as he licked his lips, his face centimeters from Wufei's. "What will you do if I kiss you first?" He didn't wait for Wufei's reply, and kissed him quickly before pulling away. "Gotcha back for that surprise."  
  
Wufei startled and then smiled faintly. "Fair is fair," he said, moving a bit closer and leaning up to kiss Trowa once more.  
  
Trowa smiled as he returned the kiss and pulled his hands free of Wufei's to wrap them around the Chinese pilot's waist and tug him just a little bit closer. His eyes drifted shut.  
  
Wufei stiffened as Trowa embraced him and he pulled away, embarrassed. "S-sorry," he muttered, flushing for the umpteenth time since Duo came home.  
  
"That... that's okay," Trowa replied as he pulled away and backed up. Trowa took a deep breath.  
  
Before Wufei had a moment to question his sanity, he nearly jumped the other boy and kissed him, hard, willing the kiss to say everything he couldn't.  
  
Trowa backed up, trying to gain his balance and his back hit the door with a loud thump. He tried to get over his surprise again and kissed Wufei pulling him close again.  
  
The Other Pilots.  
  
Heero blinked as he heard a thump from down the hall, and thought it best to ignore it.  
  
Quatre grinned as he heard the thump. It was about time those two had stopped tiptoeing around one another and just let the other know how they felt. It looked like tonight was that night for everyone, except Duo, and for that, Quatre scowled.  
  
Duo also noticed the noise from Wufei's room, and promptly turned on the radio to a volume loud enough to block the sounds outside his room.  
  
Quatre's scowl deepened as Duo started blaring music in his room, and he decided to knock on the braided boy's door. "Duo?"  
  
Duo set the station to one of the ones he used when he didn't have his headphones on, twentieth century alternative oldies. "C'mon in, Q."  
  
Quatre entered, and looked at his friend, who seemed depressed. "Would you like to talk?"  
  
Duo grinned at Quatre, crossing his legs as he sat in the center of his bed. "Don't I always?"  
  
"Yes, but most of what you say is nonsense to block out your own thoughts," Quatre replied, sitting next to the braided teen. "Care to tell me why you look like someone shot your puppy?"  
  
"Guess Wufei asking me for a bit of advice helped him out down there, eh?" Duo shook off his melancholy, visibly brightening. "Nah, I've never had a puppy, Q. You should know better than that."  
  
Quatre startled. "Wufei... asked... you... for advice? What is this? The Twilight Zone? And I know, Duo, but when the war is over, I'll buy you four."  
  
"What's wrong with asking me for advice?" Duo immediately got offended, lolling back on the bed. "Ohh! Puppies! I want a chihuahua, a pug, a miniature pincher, and a rat terrier."  
  
"You'll have to remind me," Quatre said, laughing. "And there's nothing wrong with asking you for advice. It's just that it's a bit... out of character for Wufei to do so. In fact, he's been acting strange since yesterday... Did something happen at that meeting that you didn't tell us about?"  
  
"He just discovered a few things about Trowa. You want to know, go ask them." Duo shrugged a bit, prodding at Quatre. "They know to be there tomorrow."  
  
"Hmmm, maybe I'll ask Trowa, but later. Tell me what's wrong with you?"  
  
Duo raised an eyebrow at him, turning his head to look at the blonde in amusement. "Wrong with me? Where did you get that impression?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know... It's just that your mask is slipping. Talk, Maxwell. Stop avoiding the issue."  
  
Duo grinned a little. "Just the meeting tomorrow, Q. I had to get some terms, and I've discovered a few people who might just be good for my sense of humor. Oh! Relena is now stalking someone she is calling her 'Lady Angel', and I'm still to figure out who that is."  
  
Quatre smiled. "Who knows? Maybe it's Colonel Une, but that would be freaky. What else is bothering you? The scene between Trowa and Wufei?"  
  
Duo shook his head. "Nah, just a conversation I had earlier. Still recovering, and all that. Really, stop fussing, man. Besides, I have a conquest to plan out, starting first thing tomorrow afternoon." Duo's smirk was positively evil.  
  
"Conquest? Would this have anything to do with a tall, blond, and mysterious pilot we all know, and who Heero wants to fight again?"  
  
"Yes, the other one was Wufei's. Though, I think he might be more than a little willing to help me. Just call it a hunch." Duo smirked.  
  
"Oh, I can just imagine that conversation in the morning," Quatre said with a chuckle. "But, I don't doubt he'll be a lot nicer after things calm down."  
  
"Who? Treize seems like a perfectly interesting guy, even has a good sense of humor." Duo smirked.  
  
"One would have to have a sense of humor to do what he does. So, are you alright?"  
  
Duo looked back at Quatre with a little laugh. "Aren't I always?" He propped up on an elbow, watching Quatre with a huge grin. "I am so tempted to go downstairs and plead hunger."  
  
"I don't think Trowa and Wufei are in the kitchen anymore," Quatre said with a knowing grin. "But, don't go jumping into the nearest bed for fun, okay?" He yawned. "I'm gonna go sleep. Night."  
  
"Night, Q." Duo shuffled Quatre out of his room, and then closed and locked the door behind him before slumping. "Do you really think so little of me? I know that Twilight Zone crack wasn't for humor." His voice was low enough that the music covered it, and he returned to the bed, pulling his rare, unabridged copy of Les Misérables back from his bag to read.  
  
Quatre paused before Heero's door again, and knocked this time. "Heero?"  
  
Heero opened the door, blinking at the blond on the other side.  
  
"I just came to wish you a good night," Quatre said, smiling softly before giving Heero a kiss on the cheek. "Sleep well."  
  
Heero nodded back, giving him a faint smile. "You as well." He stepped back, lightly closing the door.  
  
Quatre smiled triumphantly as he went to his own room and went to bed. Oh yes, slow and steady was going to win this race, and there was enough time to get Heero over his shyness. He knew it.  
  
Wufei's Room.  
  
Wufei didn't pull away as Trowa's arms wrapped around him. Instead, he threw his own arms around the boy's neck and pressed his smaller body into Trowa's lanky form.  
  
Trowa made another startled but pleased sound as Wufei did that. He licked Wufei's lips, wanting to deepen the kiss. Wufei was really turning him on.  
  
Wufei was startled for a moment as the sandpaper-feeling tongue wiped across his lips, but he opened his mouth. He had no idea kissing could be this enjoyable, and the closeness of the other boy was making his normally placid member awaken with passion. Trowa slipped his tongue into Wufei's mouth, making a soft sound at doing so. He traced Wufei's teeth with his tongue, making the kiss passionate, but gentle. Wufei moaned as he felt Trowa's tongue in his mouth, and he decided to play along, bringing his tongue to dart out and touch Trowa's. There was a loud muffled moan from Trowa. He never imagined Wufei would taste so good. His hands went lower on Wufei's body to cup his backside and pull their hips closer together. Wufei moaned as his body was as close to Trowa's as he could get still clothed, and pulled away to breathe. His vision was swimming, so he closed his eyes and rested his head against the taller boy's chest.  
  
"You okay?" Trowa asked, his own voice breathless. His chest heaved with pants.  
  
Wufei nodded mutely against Trowa's chest, listening to the heartbeat. "Yes," he whispered.  
  
Trowa moved his hands from Wufei's bottom to rub Wufei's back softly. "You want to kiss me again?"  
  
Wufei looked up, pleasantly surprised at the question. Instead of answering, he kissed the other boy again, gently.  
  
Trowa returned the kiss and then pulled away, grinning down at the Asian boy. "Was that a yes or a no?" he asked.  
  
"Shut up," Wufei said, placing a chaste kiss on Trowa's chin.  
  
"Make me," Trowa challenged, grinning at Wufei and leaning over taking possession of Wufei's lips again before he could respond. There was another loud thump as Trowa pushed both of them to the floor.  
  
Wufei moaned as Trowa landed on top of him, lips still locked as he returned the kiss. He decided it was his turn, and licked at Trowa's bottom lip. Trowa eagerly parted his lips, nearly pulling Wufei's tongue into his own mouth to rub against his own. Wufei moved his body a little, discovering that when he did so, his erection would rub against Trowa's thigh, and he moaned happily. Trowa shivered as Wufei did that, and he pulled away from the kiss and looked at Wufei for a moment before adjusting his own position a little, starting to kiss Wufei's neck.  
  
Wufei felt his eyes flutter as Trowa kissed his neck, and one hand moved to Trowa's hair absently. It was a bit stiff. "Do you use styling gel to get your hair that way?"  
  
"Why are you asking me that now?" Trowa responded, squirming against Wufei's body to get better friction.  
  
Wufei stifled a moan. "Your hair... it's stiff."  
  
Trowa groaned. "That's not the only part." He pulled back and gave Wufei a look.  
  
Wufei flushed a bit. "I've... noticed," he murmured, moving his other hand over Trowa's back.  
  
Trowa sighed and propped an elbow up to rest his chin against his palm.  
  
"What... what's wrong?" Wufei asked, wiggling from underneath Trowa to look at him.  
  
Trowa shivered as his eyes slammed shut. "Don't... move like... that... Wufei," Trowa panted out, trying to get a hold of himself.  
  
Wufei blinked. "Like what?"  
  
Trowa shook his head roughly, his eyes sliding half-open to stare at Wufei. He leaned over to kiss Wufei deeply again, not waiting to flick his tongue into Wufei's mouth again.  
  
Wufei moaned, shifting a little. "Trowa..." he whispered.  
  
Trowa pulled back and grabbed one of Wufei's legs and lifted it to wrap around his waist. He moved between Wufei's legs, moaning loudly as their erections rubbed against each other now. He pulled away from Wufei's lips and kissed wet trails over Wufei's neck.  
  
Wufei threw his head back, moaning as Trowa's hot breath ghosted over the delicate skin of his neck. "Trowa... don't do that..." he said between heavy pants.  
  
"Do..." Trowa kissed down Wufei's neck, his tongue darting out every so often for little licks. "What?" he finished, pushing his hips into Wufei's again.  
  
Wufei groaned loudly as Trowa thrust his hips into his own. "That," he panted, grabbing at Trowa's shirt.  
  
"Why... not?" Trowa panted again, pulling up from his admiration of Wufei's neck to look at him, his chest heaving.  
  
Wufei's eyes fluttered close under the intense gaze of Trowa's eyes. "Just... don't," he whispered, his grip loosening as he started to pull away.  
  
"I'm sorry," Trowa apologized and pushed himself up from Wufei, into a kneeling position.  
  
Wufei sat up, feeling ashamed for having made the other boy feel the need to apologize. "It's... okay," he said, pulling his knees up to his chest. "It's my fault."  
  
"No," Trowa corrected. "It was my fault." He shook his head lightly and got to his feet, smoothing out his clothes.  
  
Wufei's head shot up as he watched Trowa fix his clothing. "Trowa... I've... never even kissed anyone before tonight," he said, his voice low and trembling.  
  
"Never?" Trowa took a deep breath as he looked at Wufei.  
  
Wufei shook his head. "Never."  
  
"Oh," Trowa responded. He didn't really know what to say for a moment. Suddenly, he smirked. "Could've fooled me."  
  
Wufei's head shot up, and he caught the smirk, smiling in turn. "I'm a fast learner," he said, relaxing from his position.  
  
"So you are," Trowa responded, looking at the clock across the room.  
  
Wufei stood, and walked over to the European boy. "What time is it?"  
  
"3am." Trowa took the opportunity to pull Wufei into his arms and backed them up towards the bed. "I'm not tired. Are you?" He pushed Wufei to sit on the bed and crouched down to gaze eye to eye.  
  
Wufei blinked at the sudden movements, but he didn't pull back. "A little," he said, closing his eyes and resting his head on Trowa's shoulder.  
  
"Damn," Trowa replied, tilting his head to lick Wufei's ear.  
  
Wufei shivered at the curse. "What?" he breathed.  
  
Trowa pulled away to look at Wufei's eyes again, his smile nearly evil as he gazed at Wufei and licked his top lip.  
  
Wufei felt apprehensive about the look Trowa was giving him. He felt like a piece of meat all of a sudden. "Trowa?"  
  
"You wanna get high?" Trowa asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Wufei, the same silly grin on his face.  
  
Wufei glared at him, trying to disentangle himself from the other boy. "What?" he said darkly, arousal totally forgotten.  
  
That wasn't the reaction Trowa was hoping for and he pulled back to stand up. "Nevermind." He sighed as he turned his back to Wufei. He'd only wanted to share a little piece of his special haven with Wufei, not offend him. "I'll let you sleep now," Trowa said, his face turning cold and self- depreciating as his hand went for the doorknob.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning," Wufei replied icily. "When we meet your drug dealer again."  
  
Trowa didn't respond to that, and simply opened the door and walked out, shutting it quietly behind himself. He walked to his own room and threw himself on the bed. "That was dumb of me..." he whispered into the pillows.  
  
Wufei glared at the door as it closed, and then sagged into the bed's mattress. Why had he reacted so violently to Trowa's question? He knew that he'd only been offering to share another part of him, but... It irked Wufei. Giving up trying to make things out, Wufei kicked off his shoes and curled under the covers to get some sleep.  
  
Trowa on the other hand, went out to Heavyarms. Sleep wasn't coming tonight without a little help...  
  
Across town.  
  
Makoto hopped off the bike as soon as Riku stopped it at the hotel, climbing up the fire escape as fast as she could. She needed to keep her gift cool before it went bad, and besides, she wanted to change.  
  
Riku waited back at the bike. He didn't need anything from inside the room, and despite the gruesome actions of his partner, he was hungry.  
  
She ran into the kitchen area, placed the canvas bag in the freezer, and shed her leather trench coat. She put her sword in the bedroom, and opted for the handgun that Riku insisted she carry. Then, she went back out. "Didja miss me, darlin'?"  
  
"Of course," Riku flirted and started the bike once more. "Now, get your pretty little bottom on this bike. I haven't eaten since yesterday."  
  
Makoto snorted. "Oh, and I've had tons to eat," she retorted, hopping on the bike and patting his back. "Let's go!"  
  
Riku laughed quietly to himself, but refrained from opening his mouth. Makoto wouldn't like that smart comment at all. He sped off to a restaurant and parked the bike right outside the front doors, always paranoid about having a quick escape route.  
  
She shook her head as he parked; old habits were hard to break after all, and she followed him inside. She was dying to get something edible in her system. Damn carnivores.  
  
Riku sat at the bar and ordered a cheesecake to start as well as a beer and didn't even get carded. "And one for the lady as well," he said when Makoto sat next to him.  
  
Makoto scoffed and ordered a vegetable platter as well as the beer. "Thank you so much for decidin' for me."  
  
"What?" Riku protested. "I was trying to be a gentleman." He ordered some tofu with vegetables, deciding he should be a good boy and not just eat his dessert before dinner.  
  
"Tofu burger. An' if I get any meat on that... Just make sure it's all tofu," she said, smiling coldly as she downed half her beer in one drink, "And another beer."  
  
"Can I see some ID?" the waiter asked, giving Makoto a small glare.  
  
"She's with me," Riku said after that, and the waiter returned with another beer.  
  
"How the hell do I get carded?" Makoto was scowling. "Fuck that... I'm sick of this bull."  
  
"Makoto. Calm down." Riku turned to her.  
  
She munched on her food. "I am calm. Is anyone dead in here?"  
  
"Not yet," Riku said quietly. "Why? You have an interest in someone?"  
  
"No," Makoto said, amused. "Just if that waiter doesn't watch himself...."  
  
Riku sighed. "Don't worry about it too much. I took care of him."  
  
"Mm hmm," she muttered around the food in her mouth. Swallowing, she smiled normally. "So, you ready to take the last one out? I'd like to sleep sometime tonight. In an actual bed."  
  
"Of course. I'd like to climb a tree though," Riku added as the waiter came back. "Best view that way."  
  
"A tree?" Makoto snickered. "That's a new one. I thought ya liked buildin's."  
  
Riku gave her a look and nodded to the waiter. He knew the waiter was listening.  
  
She leaned back in her chair, taking in the other people in the place and smiled. Not too many to say they actually saw the two Asians. "Alright, I think I know someplace good."  
  
"Good. Let's go." Riku got up and left quickly without paying.  
  
Makoto sighed, dropped a fifty cred on the bar, with the note of 'watch yourself next time', and walked out to catch up with the man. "Yanno, a gentleman pays for a lady's dinner."  
  
Riku scoffed. "I didn't pay for my dinner."  
  
"No, I did... and I left him a gift," she said coldly, climbing on the back of the motorcycle. "There's a forest near the mark's house. Tall redwoods. One should suit ya just fine."  
  
"Sweet," Riku replied and took off.  
  
"Thought ya'd like that," she said, holding on tight to the body in front of her as they drove. "Yanno, I might be willin' ta be extra nice to ya tonight," she purred in his ear.  
  
"Oh?" Riku asked, turning just a little to look at her slightly. He was going to snipe this guy right out of his house.  
  
She smiled coyly. "Jus' wait an' see. Jus' wait an' see," she said lowly. The amount of men she'd killed that night had made her rather... playful, and she was so ready to get this over with.  
  
Riku drove up a hill and parked down a small driveway. "Sounds good." He stopped the bike and got off. "That tree looks nice." Riku nodded towards it and started that direction. "I'll be right back," he called, his voice taking an unusual quality to it.  
  
Makoto watched, amused, as her partner climbed the tree. With her trained eyes, she could see his white hair through the leaves and smiled. "Pretty as a picture," she muttered, pulling out the knife that Skeren gave her.  
  
Riku didn't have to wait long as his target walked out moments later. Riku got the man in his scope, took aim, and shot him once in the head. He never saw it coming and collapsed, dead on his front walkway. Riku climbed down, went back to the bike, and pulled out his phone while the man's wife screamed.  
  
Makoto listened happily as the woman screamed, and wiped her knife with a cloth from the saddlebags. "Tha' was quick, suga'. Congrats."  
  
Riku was smiling almost drunkenly as he started the bike again, tied his rifle to his back, and roared off down the road. "That was fun."  
  
"Mm hmm. So was choppin' that second guy's... Nevermind. That might not make ya too comfortable," she shouted as they rode.  
  
"You are an evil woman," Riku commented over the wind on the bike.  
  
"Ya love me anyhow," she replied, moving until she was sitting directly behind him. "Don'tcha?"  
  
"Most of the time," Riku teased as he rounded a corner, tilting the bike, and then they were back at the hotel.  
  
"Ooooh, dun tease, Riku," she purred, climbing off the bike slowly. "That's no fun."  
  
"Like I told you, I'd be fun later. When the job was done." Riku hopped off the bike, dialed a number, and spoke into the phone. "Yes, the job is done." Pause. "Yes, only took a few hours."  
  
Makoto snorted. "Ass... I knew that guy was trouble," she muttered, hopping onto the fire escape and making her way to the top floor to their room. "Meet me upstairs," she shouted before ducking in the window.  
  
Riku frowned. "We agreed on 50k if I completed it in one night." Another frown. "No, 50k." Riku hung up the phone a moment later, his eyes dangerously narrow. He followed Makoto up. He climbed in the window, shut it behind him, and tossed his phone on the couch, where he sat down a moment later and booted up his laptop.  
  
Mako appeared from the bedroom in nothing but a soft, red, silk half robe. "'Smatter?" she asked, taking in the look on his face. She blew a few strands of her loose hair out of her eyes and sat down to play with her new toys as well.  
  
"I've been stiffed. If I hadn't already pocketed that money, I'd be even madder," Riku commented. Fortunately, he knew another way to get his pay.  
  
"Jus' kill him. Why d'ya think I told him no?" She took apart her new computer and added the other extras, following the way her daddy taught her. "He's a notorious cheapskate."  
  
"I'm gonna wait on that. Let him sweat a little, while I ruin him financially," Riku commented, draining 50k from the man's bank accounts. "As you know, there are worse things than death."  
  
As a second thought, Makoto shoved the list of their marks into her jean jacket's inside pocket. It would be fun to show that to Treize and Sky the next day. She then went back to playing with the computer parts.  
  
"Heeyy..." Riku asked and looked up. "Is Skeren dead set on having that heart?" Riku had a strange gleam in his eyes.  
  
Makoto paused, giving Riku a confused look. "She doesn't know about it, yet... But that's not all I took." She gave a cold smile. "Why?"  
  
Riku grinned. "I thought I might like to leave him a little present..." He raised his eyebrows at her and licked his lips.  
  
Makoto couldn't help herself, and she started laughing. "I'm sure Sky would love the other thin' just as much... But, yanno, it's a bit cold now... Not that it wasn't before I got to it."  
  
"Doesn't matter. It's gross, and it will get the point across. Plus, make him sweat, which is exactly what I want. What a waste of good C4." Riku frowned; he was more pissed about that than anything else. He'd gotten some practice in with his new rifle, so the night wasn't a total loss.  
  
She blinked. "It's not gross... It's just small, and blackened. And now, it's cold, but yeah, you can have it... For the right price."  
  
"Oh?" Riku cocked his head to one side. "And how much would that be?" He reached over, turned his laptop off, pulled one of his guns out of his pants, and laid it on the table before turning back to Makoto.  
  
She just leaned back in her chair, stretching her pale, smooth legs out across the coffee table, watching him the whole time. "How much are ya willin' ta pay?"  
  
"How much do you want?" Riku asked, mimicking the action and stretching out on the couch a little, pulling his legs up. He gave his bangs a small fluff with his fingers.  
  
"Oh, I think ya know what I want, Riku," she said, winking seductively. "And if you want, I'll even drop the accent tonight."  
  
"I think I do," Riku replied with a small smirk as he crouched up on the couch and moved so he was leaning over Makoto; not quite touching her, just hovering.  
  
"You do, what, Riku-san?"  
  
"I think the king sized bed would be better suited for my..." Riku licked his lips, "payment." He leaned closer to Makoto's face and nodded his head in the direction of the bedroom.  
  
Makoto smiled, grabbed his hands, and dragged him to the bed. "Yes, I think so too," she whispered in his ear as she shut the door and divested him of his clothing.  
  
Riku was a little surprised to suddenly be nude, but grabbed Makoto's hands and pulled her quickly to the bed on top of him. "In a hurry?" he purred.  
  
Makoto shed her robe and leaned over him. "So, how do you plan on paying me back?" she asked, her voice perfectly modulated. She licked at his ear, knowing how much he enjoyed that.  
  
Riku moaned his eyes drifting shut. He did love that. "Mako..." he whispered. He pulled her close again, his hands running lazily down her back.  
  
She purred as he did so. "Yes?" she whispered. "Tell me what do you plan on doing?"  
  
"Hmm." Riku pretended to think about it as he rolled them over, so he was on top. His mouth descended on Makoto's neck. "You want me to fuck you into the mattress?" he whispered.  
  
Makoto shivered as he started to kiss her neck. "Yes. Hard."  
  
"You asked for it," Riku replied, his voice a dark timbre.  
  
A little while later, Riku let out a small laugh as he tried to catch his breath, and he sank down on top of Mako, giving her a small kiss. He had a rare true smile on his face. The one that he only had after good sex, or a large explosion.  
  
Mako chuckled. "When's the last time you made me come twice in one night, Riku?" She moved her legs to get comfortable, and wrapped her arms around the man on top of her.  
  
"Last night?" Riku grinned at her and rolled over a little so he wasn't squashing her completely.  
  
Makoto glared at him playfully. "Last night, if I remember correctly, we had to run from our last hideout... Because of your friends..." She leaned up on her elbow to look at him. "Must have been a few days ago." She kissed him softly, and placed her head on his chest. "Good though... Great, even."  
  
Riku threw back his head and laughed. "I was teasing you." He leaned his head over to kiss her on the forehead. "Yes, great. Not quite as good as that time in the alley when you just couldn't wait, and I fucked you into the wall of that bar. But good."  
  
"Ah, but there was the element of being caught that time. You know I'm a closet exhibitionist," she retorted, sucking lazily on one of the pierced nubs in front of her.  
  
"Yes, I know...mmm...feels good," Riku purred, rubbing the back of Makoto's hair softly.  
  
Mako ran one hand down the flat planes of Riku's body. "Sometimes, you being a guy is inconvenient," she whispered, flicking her tongue across the hoop.  
  
"How so?" Riku asked somewhat breathlessly.  
  
Mako smiled against the warm chest. "I want to play again..."  
  
"Again?" Riku grinned as he bit his lip, "You insatiable little nymph...." He pulled her on top of him again, tangling his hands in her hair. He smiled at her and pulled her down to kiss him.  
  
She returned the kiss, wiggling her hips a bit. "You know how I get... It was just soooo much. Besides, having you watch me made it better," she purred.  
  
"Hmm..." Riku replied, his eyes half closed as he gazed at her smiling seductively. "I think I might need a hand though."  
  
Makoto snorted, and then surprised herself by yawning. "The hell?" She leaned over to rest her forehead on Riku's cheek. "You do know I've only had three hours of sleep, killed two men with glee, and just had amazing sex, right?" She yawned again, her breath soft against his jaw. "Hmmm, I think my libido can hold out till the mornin'," she whispered.  
  
Riku laughed again. "Alright. We are supposed to meet with those pilots again sometime today." Riku wrapped his arms around her and just cuddled her close, reaching out to throw a blanket over them both. It was daylight now.  
  
Makoto yawned again. "Two PM, but I wanna get there 'fore hand... Dun trust 'em all completely," she replied sleepily and closed her eyes.  
  
"Neither do I," Riku agreed quietly and slipped into slumber.  
  
The OZ base.  
  
It was a while before those in Zechs' office broke up, but it had the unfortunate affect of leaving Relena in line to find Zechs, having spotted Une leaving with Treize.  
  
Zechs looked at his sister, feeling a bit better now that they were alone. "So, Relena, how are you?"  
  
Relena got immediately shy, though she smiled brightly at him. "I've been well... I'm sorry... For what I said in Antarctica."  
  
Zechs waved it off. "You didn't know. All you knew was that some insane OZ colonel was trying to kill your... interest," he replied dryly. "There are no hard feelings."  
  
Relena relaxed a little. "That doesn't mean that I shouldn't apologize. Just because I thought someone you are not..."  
  
Zechs smiled. "Not entirely. But I suppose there are a few things I should apologize to you for. Namely, Une's killing of your adopted father."  
  
"That's for her to apologize for, not you... But I can't say I blame her. It's hard to hold onto grief for someone you almost hated." There was a twist to her lips then.  
  
Zechs' lips twitched at that. "Hated? Really? Even you are capable of that, I suppose. But, one day, I will tell you about our parents' murder. Not right now. So, how are things working out with Dorothy?"  
  
Relena blinked at the topic change, trying and failing to understand it. "Working out how?"  
  
"Well, you don't magically think she appeared to be your friend, do you?" he asked, reaching up to take off his mask. "You don't mind do you? It's rather irritating to me."  
  
"No, I don't mind at all." She actually really wanted to see what her brother had grown into. "And I know she didn't magically appear, but people tend to assume she and I are... closer than we are since I ceased chasing Heero."  
  
Zechs snorted, opening his desk drawer, pulling out a brush, and then taking off the metal mask. "No, one would have to be dumb to think the two of you are more than like sisters." He brushed his long platinum locks out of his eyes.  
  
"People pride themselves on being stupid then." Relena watched him brush out his hair, drinking in the sight of the only person she could now call family. She didn't think of Mrs. Darlian as her mother now; it just seemed... wrong.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Zechs asked, looking worriedly at his sister.  
  
"How did you get here?" Relena seemed to be referring to more than the office they were in.  
  
"How did I join OZ, you mean. I vowed revenge against our parents' killers, and Treize offered the best solution," Zechs replied coldly, his blue eyes resembling ice.  
  
Relena bit her lip, circling the desk and resting a timid hand on his arm. "I meant... How could you be here? I know that I..." She sighed, unable to ask the question she wanted to.  
  
He looked up, softly, at the girl in front of him. "How could I be here?"  
  
Relena grimaced as she heard it, but nodded anyway. It was as close as she could get to what she wanted to ask.  
  
Zechs sighed, feeling old. "I wanted that man dead. Treize understood, but kept me sane. He helped me change my name, and I got what I wanted. He's been a good friend. Besides, Treize is out to end this war, Relena."  
  
Relena shook her head, moving forward abruptly to hug Zechs. "That isn't what I meant at all, brother."  
  
"Then explain yourself, little sister," he said, slowly returning the embrace. He fought back the thought that he shouldn't be tainting the pure, innocent girl touching him.  
  
"How did you..." She took a deep breath, feeling miserable all of a sudden, and she shook her head, unable to speak it. She couldn't ask him that, but he knew... Surely...  
  
"Just ask, Relena. The most I can say is that I won't answer," Zechs replied, trying to figure out what the hell his sister was getting at exactly.  
  
"How did you live when everyone else died?" Her voice was so tiny, making it clear that she was certain she shouldn't be asking at all.  
  
Zechs smiled, feeling relieved. "Do you really think that the Darlians were the only loyal retainers that our parents had? Noin's family was one of those, and they hid me when we were attacked."  
  
"I just... I wasn't sure if I should ask that... If it was even fair of me to ask that." Relena was doing a very good job of clinging though, and she had a damn good grip.  
  
Zechs hugged the girl tighter. "As I said, you can always ask, but I reserve the right to refuse you an answer. Besides, it was a miracle they even found me when they did."  
  
Relena let out a long breath, just leaving it there. "Yes, but it's good that they did... Even though I said what I did... before. I was proud that you weren't unfair."  
  
"Unfair?" Zechs said, mock-affronted. "Me? No, but I am glad that I was saved, for many reasons."  
  
Relena smiled. "I'm glad you were saved too. It's good to have a family, even if you didn't want me to know."  
  
Zechs smiled sadly. "It was for your own protection, although I see that is a moot point as of now. Thanks to Lu and her big motor mouth."  
  
Relena laughed a bit, pulling back to look Zechs in the face. "I don't need all the protection the lot of you seek to lavish on me."  
  
"Ah, but little princess, it comes with the job. Get used to it," he replied playfully, flicking her hair.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I swear only the women seem to know what I'm capable of." She blew the hair out of her face after he flicked it onto her nose.  
  
"Oh, I know you, but as your older brother, it's my job to make sure you are safe. Even if that means from me, and yourself."  
  
"Yeah, well, big brother or not, it's a new position, so don't go thinking you can tell me what to do." Her voice was a little amused. "So, why were you following the same guy I was?"  
  
Zechs smiled. "Only man who could best me in a mobile suit. Like Treize, I love a good challenge, and Heero's the best I've found."  
  
"Best you've found, but no proof he's the best there is." Dorothy had filled her in on this front. It was common knowledge there were five pilots, but to all indications, there seemed to be only four gundams. She found this funny.  
  
"As I said, he's the best I've found. I've yet to fight any of the others."  
  
Relena smiled and nodded to herself. "I should have suspected we were related just by that."  
  
Zechs snorted, and then looked at his desk. "That... girl has messed up my paper work for the day." He groaned. "And look at how much there is... You know I hate paperwork, right?  
  
"Doesn't everyone? Anything I can help with? I'll be at the meeting tomorrow too, after all, so perhaps if we work on this mess together, we can get it done faster."  
  
He shuffled through the sheets, and handed her requests forms. "If they ask for more than is reasonable, chuck it. I can claim I didn't get them."  
  
Relena laughed, settling in to do just that. "Of course. You'd think people would learn the first time."  
  
"These are soldiers, not reasonable people, Relena," Zechs said, chuckling warmly as he started in on his own pile.  
  
"You think soldiers are the only ones that make unreasonable requests?" She sounded rather disbelieving. After a shake of her head, she got to work.  
  
**End part six**


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Reservations For Sanity  
**Authors:** Skeren Dreamera, Makoto Sagara, and Bagelbunion  
**Category:** AU, Shounen ai, Het, Action/Adventure  
**Pairings:** 4 plus 1, 3x5x3, 2 plus 6, R plus 11, OCxOC, very subject to change  
**Spoilers:** Yes, Romefeller for almost the whole story line   
**Warnings:** shounen ai, shoujo ai, het, language, violence, OOC, AU timeline from Antarctica on, angst, crazy muses and authors, too little sleep?

**Disclaimers:** All we own are our original characters and the story line. Everything else belongs to this hideously long list of companies with lots of lawyers who could get our pennies. So, seeing as how that's been said, please don't sue. Mako needs to save her money to move to Texas!! We sure as hell don't get any money off of this...Just have fun.

**Notes:** Wufei is still having trouble with Trowa's habit, and has a talk with him. Treize suffers from an unwelcome inspection of his base. And Makoto and Riku get some information and go to the park to check things out.  
  
**Begin part seven**  
  
Wufei woke up with the sun in his face and feeling like shit. "Che." He peered blearily over at the clock. "Seven AM. Fine." He climbed out of his bed and made his way to the bathroom for a cold shower. Duo had, unfortunately, fallen asleep with his radio blaring, and it was audible as Wufei passed. It didn't get a favorable reaction. Wufei snarled as he walked past the American's room, and banged on the door. "Turn that down, Maxwell," he shouted before making it to the bathroom, where he found peace.  
  
Duo woke as the door was pounded on and sat up, putting his book away in his bag and fishing out his brush. "Not after the radio show last night, I'm not." It was a displeased mutter, and Duo would have been shocked to receive a reply.  
  
Trowa hadn't slept a wink at all the previous. He just stayed in Heavyarms until it was morning. His eyes were red and bloodshot from smoking nearly all his stash hours before and the lack of sleep. Needless to say, he was in bad mood. Trowa wandered into the kitchen, blinking at Quatre sitting at the table. He nodded curtly at him and opened the fridge.  
  
Quatre's welcoming smile faded as he looked at his friend. "Bad night?" He was already wondering what had caused Trowa to look like Heavyarms has stepped on him.  
  
Trowa poured himself a glass of juice and sat down forcefully at the table across from Quatre. "Fucking rotten." Trowa said it in a slightly sardonic tone of voice, almost cheery. It was disturbing.  
  
"What happened?" Quatre stood from his chair and moved over to the counter. "Let me get you something stronger than that." He was already pouring a cup of coffee for the banged boy.  
  
"You don't think you could Irish up that coffee for me, could you?" Trowa groaned and buried his tired eyes in his hands. "Why does it have to be morning..."  
  
Heero crawled out of bed, having long practice tuning out Duo's music as he got dressed in fresh clothes and went downstairs. Heero entered in time to hear this comment. "Because the sun came up."  
  
"By Irish up, I assume you mean pouring liquor into it," Quatre replied, looking for something to add. "The morning always comes after a nasty night."  
  
"Yes, and lots of it," Trowa added to Quatre, glaring coolly at Heero. "Sleep well?" He was being extremely sarcastic now that he had seen Heero's near jovial state.  
  
Wufei made a quick job of his shower, cursing his mood on his crappy night, or what had been a nice night before Trowa asked that damned question. He returned to his room, dressed as fast as he could, fixed his hair in it's normal tail, and walked downstairs. He paused as he heard the other three pilots talking.  
  
Heero nodded to Trowa with a slight smirk. "Sleep at all?"  
  
"Trowa, you should really get more sleep." Quatre handed him the coffee as he scolded him. "Good morning, Heero."  
  
"No, Heero. I didn't sleep at all," Trowa snapped. He grabbed the coffee that Quatre gave him and downed it all in one swoop.  
  
"Good morning, Quatre." Heero moved and got some juice for himself.  
  
Wufei scowled at the bitter tone in Trowa's voice. He sounded like shit. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the kitchen and went about ignoring everyone to make some tea. Trowa clamed up as soon as Wufei walked into the kitchen, his eyes following Wufei's every move with a cold scowl. The tension was high in the room.  
  
Duo dealt with his hair before changing clothes, having fallen asleep before he'd gotten out of them, and he came downstairs, determined to be his bright self, sing-songing as he entered the kitchen. Didn't matter if he wasn't a morning person. "Good morning!"  
  
"Good morning, Wufei," Quatre said, taking in the foul mood radiating off the Asian boy. "Sleep poorly as well." He could have sworn that he heard something like 'leave me alone, Winner' come from Wufei.  
  
Duo put his hands on his hips as he was ignored. "What, don't I get a good morning back?" Trowa glared daggers at Duo, his red eyes making the move look strained. Quatre was more than happy for the distraction. "Good morning, Duo. You're up early."  
  
Duo immediately turned to Quatre. "Ah, someone loves me!"  
  
"Fuck you and your good morning," Trowa growled out, in a rare show of bitterness.  
  
Heero snorted, shaking his head, and then taking a sip of juice. "Duo."  
  
"Of course," Quatre said, before glaring at Trowa. "That wasn't called for, Barton."  
  
Duo looked affronted. "After all the noise you people made last night, I'd think you'd be more peppy."  
  
Wufei snorted as he listened, not commenting, and walked out with his tea. There was no way he was staying with that crowd in the tiny kitchen.  
  
Trowa crossed his arms over his chest, glaring back. "Fuck you too, Winner"  
  
"Go get some sleep, Trowa," Quatre stated coolly, glaring at the green- eyed boy.  
  
Trowa stood up, gave the three of them the finger, and left the kitchen, heading back for Heavyarms.  
  
Duo shook his head, tisking. "Honestly. He can't go to the meeting like that!"  
  
Quatre blinked. "Oh, I think something happened between those two." He sighed and dumped what was left of Trowa's coffee-laced alcohol in the sink. "Doubt either wants to go now."  
  
"We're going to go." Duo's voice was firm. "If the lot of you don't, I'm still going, alright?" Heero looked to Duo as he heard the annoyance in his voice before the grin hid it away.  
  
Wufei reappeared in the doorway. "I am going," he stated calmly, before grabbing a few pieces of grain bread and making his way out to Nataku.  
  
Quatre looked at Duo. "Of course we're still going. Whether or not I don't kill those two is another question totally." A definite snort accompanied the words.  
  
Duo just laughed it off, peering over at Wufei, and then hooking his arm around the Chinese teen's shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, I see. Hey Wu, care to share why I needed me music?" He said this as he steered him back out of the room, in a direction other than his initial destination.  
  
Wufei growled. "Leave me alone, Duo. I'm not in the mood."  
  
"Don't much care." Duo didn't release him, steering him into an empty room and closing the door. "Why are you both so pissy?"  
  
Wufei glared. "What do you want to know? Things were fine... until he asked me to... get high with him."  
  
Duo made a face, and then let out a breath. "Well, that certainly explains it. Tell me why it bugs you so bad. Is it because he asked, or because he does it?"  
  
"Both, maybe. I don't know." Wufei let out an aggravated breath, looking at his cooling tea and the few pieces of bread in his hand. "Why'd he ask me?"  
  
"He wanted to share it with you. Drugs tend to be a group thing, and if you bring something, you intend to share it. It means he trusts you. You didn't like that idea though, did you?"  
  
"No. I'm still not comfortable with the idea of him doing it, but that's fine if it's his way of coping. I just... It was too much, too fast." Wufei sat down on the nearest surface, the floor, and grimaced.  
  
Duo gave Wufei a quick hug, retreating before he could get physically painful retaliation. "Just... let it go, man. It isn't worth being mad over anymore. It's day out, so it's time to start over, right?"  
  
Wufei looked up, his face openly confused. "Perhaps. Just let me think about it."  
  
Duo grinned widely. "Of course, Wuffles." Thus, the seriousness ended.  
  
The Chinese pilot opened his mouth to retort, and then promptly closed it. "I'd like to think, alone, if you don't mind."  
  
Duo shook his head. "You don't need to think about it. Instead, consider the look on Zechs' face when he sees me again. Think about that." Seconds later, he ducked out of the room.  
  
Wufei shook his head. Duo was really hard to phase sometimes. Then, his thoughts traveled back to the night before. Everything had been fine until Trowa asked him to get high. He'd been... free... until then.  
  
Quatre sighed. "I'm going to go see if I can keep Trowa from being a total jerk today," he said, placing a small kiss on Heero's cheek. "Good morning again." He headed to where the Gundams were stashed, leaving Heero in the kitchen.  
  
Heero looked around the room and shook his head. "Well, that was pleasant."  
  
The blond found Trowa in Heavyarms, looking nasty. "Want to tell me about last night?" He perched on the open cockpit door as he poked for his answer.  
  
"No," Trowa responded, his voice still cold.  
  
Quatre shook his head. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Trowa. Something happened between you and Wufei that caused you not to get any sleep. Am I right?"  
  
Trowa sighed. "Yes." He slouched a little. "I'm sorry I snapped at you too..." he added in a quiet voice.  
  
Quatre patted Trowa's leg, because it was closest to him, and smiled faintly. "What happened?"  
  
Trowa sighed, frustrated. "I made a comment that I probably shouldn't have."  
  
"But things were fine until then, right? You two seemed rather cozy, if not cute, in the kitchen." Quatre grinned cheekily.  
  
Trowa's lips quirked a little. "Yeah... I made some cookies for him..."  
  
"That was nice of you... So, what happened? How far did you get?" Quatre turned around to face the other boy.  
  
"Not far." Trowa nearly snorted.  
  
"You probably got farther than I did with Heero," Quatre said, almost sourly.  
  
"You struck out too?" Trowa asked quietly. "Shit... I thought at least one of us would get lucky."  
  
"No such luck, my friend." The blond laughed. "At least he didn't hit me when I kissed him though. I expected him to do that."  
  
"Aa, that's good." Trowa let himself smile a little.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do about our problems?" Quatre asked, looking past Trowa and at the small cockpit area, so similar to the one he was used to seeing in Sandrock.  
  
"Get 'em drunk and have our naughty ways with them?" Trowa suggested.  
  
Quatre laughed. "I doubt that either would agree to that... At least the drinking part. Wufei'd say something about it dulling his senses, and Heero... That's a scary thought."  
  
Trowa smiled. "I know. I was joking. Although... if you got Heero drunk, I would have to take pictures."  
  
Quatre shook his head a little. "I'd have to make sure Duo was far, far, far away..."  
  
Trowa made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh. "No doubt about that!"  
  
Wufei carefully snuck into the hangar, listening to Quatre and Trowa talk. The normally quiet teen seemed to be unusually animated, so Wufei decided to just watch from his position.  
  
"So, what are you going to do about Wufei?" Quatre asked after a friendly silence.  
  
Trowa sighed, turning melancholy again. "I don't know."  
  
The blond sighed, feeling a presence behind them. "Something tells me that you'll think of something. Are you going to be okay?"  
  
"I think so. Eventually, I'll need some sleep." Trowa shrugged a little.  
  
"Alright, well, I am going to get something to eat. Let us know if you don't want to want to come with us this afternoon."  
  
"Yes, I will go," Trowa replied with a small nod.  
  
"Okay, see you later," Quatre replied, jumping down, and heading back to the house, nodding in a small gesture to Wufei. "Go for it. He needs it."  
  
Wufei nodded and walked on silent feet to Heavyarms. He jumped up carefully and stood in front of Trowa. "'Morning," he said gruffly.  
  
Trowa was surprised to see Wufei come to him, but he didn't let it show. "Morning."  
  
"You didn't sleep." It wasn't a question.  
  
"No."  
  
Wufei looked at Trowa, feeling nervous, but refusing to let it get the best of him. "You were out here all night?"  
  
"Yes." Trowa gave a small nod.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Couldn't sleep."  
  
Wufei scoffed, but didn't feel anything behind it... He looked away, trying to gather his thoughts. "Why?"  
  
"Too wound up." Trowa shrugged, focusing on something other than Wufei.  
  
"That's not what I meant..." Wufei scrunched his nose, trying to find the right words. "Why do you... use drugs?"  
  
Trowa blinked at Wufei, and then looked away for a moment. "I want to," he responded.  
  
Wufei sighed. "What do you... gain... from doing them?"  
  
"A sense of peace. Relaxation, happiness, stimulates my appetite." Trowa chewed on his lip a little. "It's fun," he added after a moment.  
  
"Happiness?" Wufei looked at the look on Trowa's face. "How?"  
  
Trowa met Wufei's eyes. "It makes me feel better."  
  
"Explain." Wufei took a moment. "I want to know how."  
  
Trowa sighed and rubbed his red eyes. "Releases endorphins... It just does, okay?"  
  
"There are... other ways," Wufei said quietly, feeling his face heat. Damn his body for not listening to him.  
  
"Name one," Trowa challenged and held up his finger before putting it down.  
  
Wufei kissed him, hard, not even thinking about it. "Like that," he whispered, pulling back.  
  
Trowa sighed, and pulled Wufei to sit in his lap. "You gonna do that every time I'm depressed?" he asked, almost sadly.  
  
Wufei blinked at the sudden change in position. "Works, doesn't it?" he quipped.  
  
"I don't know. Do it again."  
  
Wufei smiled slightly, placing a chaste kiss against the Heavyarms pilot's lips. Trowa smiled a little into the kiss, and tightened his arms around Wufei's waist. Wufei slowly wrapped his arms around Trowa's neck. "See, there are other ways," he said softly, kissing Trowa's neck. "I could teach you another."  
  
"Hmm," Trowa replied. "Go on," he said, tilting his neck to encourage Wufei.  
  
"Meditation," Wufei responded. "It helps me. Why do you think Maxwell has lived so long since we met?"  
  
"Huh?" That wasn't the answer Trowa had expected.  
  
"Well, it's not easy to begin, but once you have the basics, you can perform it and feel more rested than actual sleep," Wufei said, sitting up and looking at the other boy. "You didn't expect that, did you?"  
  
"Er... no," Trowa replied honestly, a little confused.  
  
Wufei snorted softly. "Of course not. But Duo told me that if it bothered me so much, perhaps I should find something that I could share with you... that wasn't as dangerous."  
  
Trowa scoffed a little. "Getting stoned isn't dangerous. Makes me a little dopey, but it's not dangerous. Wait a sec... You talked to Duo about this?"  
  
Wufei flushed, feeling a bit uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Who else could I talk to? Winner? Or Yuy?"  
  
Trowa looked exasperated for a moment. "I'd prefer that you didn't... At least, Duo's a better choice than either of those two for this."  
  
"Duo was my only choice the first time, and the second time, he was the most logical." Trowa merely nodded in return for Wufei's words. Wufei relaxed a bit. "Are you interested?"  
  
"In meditating with you? I don't know..." Trowa rubbed a hand over his face.  
  
Wufei looked over the banged boy. "You should get a few hours of sleep before we leave," he said, making a move to go. "I will leave you."  
  
"No," Trowa replied immediately, pulling Wufei close to him so he couldn't get away. "Stay." He knew he wasn't going to able to sleep, and he'd rather spend the time with Wufei.  
  
Wufei slowly relaxed into the hold around his waist. "You will pay for not resting. Some part of me says that this meeting will be long, and filled with rambling women."  
  
Trowa chuckled a little and rested his head on Wufei's shoulder. Maybe I should get high before I go; then at least it will be entertaining. "I can just tune them out and wait for it to be over then."  
  
Wufei unconsciously nuzzled against Trowa, closing his eyes. It was strange how nice it felt being in the taller teen's arms. It... was a welcome feeling though.  
  
Trowa sighed. "How much longer until this meeting?" His voice was soft and quiet, leaving Wufei to tell he just wanted to get it over with.  
  
Wufei cast a look at the internal clock on Heavyarms' panel. "Three hours until we leave. Two for setup. Nataku only knows how long for the actual meeting. In all, too long."  
  
"I couldn't agree more. Wanna sneak off early and have some fun?" Trowa gave the neck in front of him a small lick, just the barest of brushes.  
  
Wufei shivered as Trowa's tongue came into contact with his neck. How in the hell did he manage to survive his marriage with something like that? Oh, yes... His mood soured briefly before he nuzzled against Trowa. "Fun?"  
  
"Mm-hmm," Trowa purred, one hand caressing down Wufei's back to squeeze his rear.  
  
Wufei felt his groin twinge as Trowa touched him. "What... what did you have in mind?"  
  
Trowa got a little bolder in his groping and began to kiss Wufei's neck using just his lips. "Little more of this..." he mumbled between kisses.  
  
Wufei let out a low moan. "And what would you like me to do?"  
  
Trowa pulled back, giving Wufei a seductive look. He grabbed the back of Wufei's head with his other hand and pulled the smaller pilot's head down to his neck. He tilted his head to side. Wufei's eyes fluttered at the sudden actions, but he wanted to do this. The hold was too easy to break free of, if he wished, but he didn't. Instead, he licked at the exposed skin, lightly biting.  
  
"Mm..." Trowa purred and shivered a little. He gave Wufei's rear another squeeze. Taking that as encouragement, Wufei sucked lightly on the abused skin, savoring the slightly salty taste that assaulted his tongue. "Wufei..." Trowa whispered softly. The hand in Wufei's hair tightened and began to lightly massage the black tendrils.  
  
"Yes," Wufei whispered, moving one hand to travel up the brunette's chest.  
  
Trowa moaned softly again and pulled the hair-tie from Wufei's hair to get a better hold. He pulled Wufei's head back and then pushed him forward again to kiss him.  
  
Wufei nearly purred as Trowa's fingers touched his scalp, and he returned the kiss with as much passion. "Trowa..."  
  
Back inside:  
  
Quatre waltzed into the kitchen, finding Heero still there, with an almost spaced out look on his face. "You look cute like that," he said, pulling out an apple from the fridge.  
  
Heero snapped to himself, setting his empty glass on the table, as he blushed a bit. "What?"  
  
"It's just not often that you get that 'I'm not all here' look. It's cute," Quatre said, biting into the fruit after he washed it.  
  
"I was considering this afternoon's meeting." Heero's voice was a bit embarrassed.  
  
"Yes, of course. What did you come up with," Quatre purred, biting into the fruit once more.  
  
"Ah." Heero closed his mouth, trying to come up with something.  
  
Quatre smiled. He figured that he knew what the other boy had been thinking about, but he wasn't going to pry. His quarry was before him, but he was a very patient hunter.  
  
Even giving an honest answer, Heero couldn't tell Quatre what he had been thinking. He'd outright zoned off for the first time that he could remember. "We need to be sure and win over this alliance."  
  
"Of course, Heero, and we are all aware of that. But, what are you really worried about?"  
  
Heero blinked at him, feeling... refreshed. "I'm not."  
  
Quatre sat down. "Then, did you think about last night?"  
  
"No." Heero had to be honest, he hadn't thought about a damn thing, not a single glimmer of a thought.  
  
"Then, what about now," Quatre inquired, blue eyes taking in every detail of the other boy.  
  
"Now? I was... I think I was meditating." Heero didn't sound sure though.  
  
Quatre snorted. "No, what about thinking about last night, now."  
  
Heero ducked his head. He'd rather hoped that wasn't what Quatre meant. "Well, what is it that you'd like to know?"  
  
Quatre smiled to himself. "What did you think about it? And can I do it again, soon?" He winked.  
  
Heero smiled a bit. "I wouldn't mind that."  
  
"How soon is soon?" Quatre asked, getting out of his chair and moving over to sit next to Heero.  
  
"Next time you do it." Heero tilted his head a little to look at Quatre.  
  
Quatre took the opening and kissed Heero, lightly touching the boy's strong arm next to him. Heero returned the kiss before pulling back, a faint smile on his face. Quatre nearly beamed as the kiss was broken, but he didn't move his hand. Instead, he placed his other hand on Heero's bare knee. "Heero... you're rather shy."  
  
Heero flicked his attention over Quatre and just raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
"It's refreshing," Quatre stated, moving in closer and kissing gently on Heero's strong jaw. "I like it... You always seem so reserved... Are you really?"  
  
Heero watched Quatre for a moment of lengthy silence. "I suppose that is so." Most of the time...  
  
Quatre pulled back, not liking the way Heero nearly stiffened. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"  
  
Heero just reached up, gently disengaging Quatre's hand from his jaw. "No."  
  
"Then why do you keep pulling away from me?"  
  
Heero released a faint breath. "Touch is not something I am used to being positive."  
  
"Well, I'm going to have to change that. While I might not be as touchy as Duo is, I find that it's nice to touch someone you like, and to be touched back," Quatre stated calmly, looking Heero dead in the eyes.  
  
"I've gotten used to Duo. I haven't had time to get used to you." Heero's voice was soft, holding an inherent shrug.  
  
Quatre said back, a pensive look over his face. "I want you to not just get used to me, but want to touch me back."  
  
Heero just sighed and glanced away. "I need time for that."  
  
Quatre nodded, smiling. "I understand. If you need me, I'll be in my room," he said, placing a hand on Heero's shoulder before he left. Heero glanced after Quatre and sighed. He just had to figure out how to express himself to him then.  
  
The hanger:  
  
Duo had finally come out of hiding, deciding to avoid everyone and check on Deathscythe before the meeting. Of course, he didn't expect to hear a rather loud makeup session. Rather than pretending he hadn't noticed, he yelled right up to them. "Lemme guess, CPR?"  
  
The hand soon left Wufei's hair and reappeared at Wufei's waist when he heard Duo's voice. "What the...?" Trowa scowled.  
  
"Did I guess right?" Another shout from the braided teen.  
  
Wufei fumed, and starting cursing in Mandarin about the American's heritage. "Do you have no class, Maxwell?"  
  
"No," Trowa yelled. "Tonsillectomy."  
  
Wufei's glared turned on Trowa. "Do you have to encourage him?"  
  
Duo smirked. "Close enough. At least he knows ya care, ne?"  
  
"Maybe he'll get the hint and go away?" Trowa asked. It was... very unlikely.  
  
Wufei's glare increased "Yes, like... the sun will just mysteriously disappear..."  
  
"Then, throw something at him." Trowa shrugged, reached out an arm, hit a button on Heavyarms panel, and the cockpit door slid shut. "There. Problem solved." His lips descended on Wufei's again.  
  
Duo, waiting for another shout, saw the door close. "Fine, be that way!"  
  
Wufei put his head against Trowa's shoulder, feeling tired all of a sudden, but relishing in the new, and surprisingly comfortable, closeness with the European. "Yes, but now it's rather cramped in here."  
  
"Hmm," was all Trowa said, as his hands found their way into Wufei's shirt to rub his skin, where he originally wanted them to go before Duo interrupted.  
  
Wufei's skin twitched at Trowa's callused fingers, and he repositioned himself until he was nearly straddling Trowa's hips in the chair. "What do you want from me?" he asked lowly, eyes hooded.  
  
"This," Trowa replied, his voice dark and husky as one hand trailed out of Wufei's shirt to squeeze his groin. His mouth was busy admiring Wufei's neck, while his other hand held Wufei where he wanted him.  
  
Duo went about the hanger and couldn't resist interrupting the happy couple when they knocked the speaker button. "Oi! Lovebirds! Watch where you put your hands!"  
  
Wufei moaned, his senses overloading in so many ways as Trowa touched him. He threw his head back to allow the other easier access to his neck. He was cut short by Duo's comment. "Die," he snarled, hitting the button again.  
  
Trowa growled and clicked on the loud speaker. "Get bent," he growled and then made sure he clicked it off and locked it.  
  
Duo just laughed. Like that would faze him.  
  
"Where were we?" Trowa turned back to Wufei and began to massage the smaller pilot's groin again.  
  
"I think we were..." Wufei leaned forward. "Here," he breathed, before kissing Trowa again, one hand finding it's way to Trowa's hard erection. Trowa groaned low in his throat and pushed his hips forward into Wufei's hands, encouraging him. Wufei squeezed gently, moving to kiss the other side of Trowa's neck.  
  
"Wufei..." Trowa purred squeezing Wufei's groin in turn, his other hand flying wildly over Wufei's body. He had stopped his kissing to tilt his head back and just encourage Wufei's own exploration.  
  
Wufei slowly licked the area, still squeezing Trowa's arousal very gently, not wanting to bring any sort of discomfort to Trowa. He moaned as his own erection was touched. His blood felt like fire in his veins.  
  
Trowa opened his eyes, licking his top lip once to wet it. "Wufei..."  
  
Across town:  
  
Makoto mumbled as her phone went off, looking at the time. It was only 9am. Whoever it was had better be ready to die. "Yes?" she hissed, leaving the room to the sleeping man.  
  
"Moonie!!"  
  
"Star?"  
  
"Yes! You remembad me!" the girl shouted into Makoto's ear.  
  
"Of course I do, silly. What do you want?"  
  
"I got some info about that Dekim guy."  
  
"Okay, I'm listenin'."  
  
"He's meetin' Dermail sometime Wednesday, in Toronto."  
  
"Toronto?" Makoto repeated, thinking how far that was. "Shit. Ok, you know what it's about?"  
  
"The kid he drags everywhere."  
  
"Oh, lovely. Didja get a picture?"  
  
"Yep, I'll mail it to ya in a few."  
  
"Darlin', when I see you again, I'm gonna kiss you. I'll wire you the money in an hour, okay?"  
  
"No problem, just send me a picture of that hunky guy you tag along with."  
  
Makoto laughed. "I'll see. Erg, I gotta eat and get ready. Talk to ya soon." Makoto ended the phone call, tossed her cell down on the couch, and picked up the room's phone. "I want some oatmeal, whole grain toast, freshly squeezed orange juice, and fresh strawberries delivered to room 405."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
She hung up, thinking about her options. She could either wake Riku, or call Skeren and tell her about the gift and list. She snatched her phone up and hit five on the speed dial.  
  
Skeren answered quickly enough, having just gotten back to her room, alone. "Be glad you didn't get a guy."  
  
Makoto laughed. "But I saw him return it, suga'. So, I got you a few presents last night. One you'll have to share with Khushy-babe though."  
  
"Oh, yeah. I need to be sharper than this." Skeren sounded a bit annoyed with herself. "So, what is it you have?"  
  
"Well, you remember Layfield and Hart? I fed Layfield to his hounds, and I took a few things from that child molester, Hart... Namely, his heart and balls. Riku's called dibs on the heart though."  
  
"But that's the best part! I suppose I can make do with the offending object." There was a huff of a sigh. "I doubt you want me to share that though. So, what's the other?"  
  
"A list of our targets. Hart and Layfield were the small timers. Oh, and I need you to pass this info onto Treize. I have a picture of the girl. I'm bringing it today." She sighed, as someone knocked on the door. "Alright, breakfast. Talk to ya soon, Sky-girl."  
  
"Later, 'Koto." Skeren hung up, considering the phone. "New art supplies. Must go wake our esteemed highness though. Treizey boy, I do hope you wear things to bed."  
  
Makoto walked into the room, slipped on her robe, and shook Riku awake. "I ordered breakfast, darlin'. It's here," she said, leaving to answer the door.  
  
Riku awoke, slightly groggy and got up. "Where are my pants?"  
  
"Living room," Makoto yelled, taking the tray and winking at the boy. "Thank ya, sweetness." She slipped him a fifty and shut the door.  
  
"What are they doing in the living room when I'm in here?" Riku pouted, pulling the sheet off the bed to cover himself while he wandered out to collect his clothes.  
  
Makoto smiled as Riku came out. "You act like I know... By the way, I got you some more clothes yesterday, though I doubt you care." She sat in the plush chair of before, nibbling at a strawberry.  
  
"Oh? Where are they?" Riku sat down on the couch, still in the sheet, and poured himself a cup of cocoa.  
  
Makoto waved a hand at the bags she'd dropped the day before. "In those bags by the couch, sweetheart." She poured herself some tea and took a piece of toast.  
  
"Ah." Riku scratched his nose. "I need a crossbow..."  
  
"Crossbow? Those are illegal, but I think I know someone who'd let you borrow it," Makoto said, thinking quickly about her options.  
  
"I know they are illegal, but since when has that stopped me?" Riku helped himself to some strawberries.  
  
Makoto smiled to herself. "Never." She pulled out her phone, scribbled the number of her friend on the napkin and tossed it to Riku. "Mention you're a friend of mine. I'm showerin'."  
  
"Thanks." Riku immediately called the number and got what he wanted. That sorry fuck was going to pay for stiffing him money, no matter how small the amount, even if Riku was technically a billionaire.  
  
Makoto came out of the shower, with only a towel around her body. "Riku, hon, do I wanna know why you want that heart and a crossbow?"  
  
"Nothing worse than what you did." Riku grinned. "If I'm lucky, I might give the poor fuck a heart attack." He had already dressed in his usual attire of black polyester pants, a white dress shirt and black sweater. "You want to come along for the ride while I go get it? I'll have just enough time to use it before we should start this meeting."  
  
Makoto smirked. "I did nothin' to Hart that he didn't deserve. I'm surprised the bastard had a heart ta cut out. And sure, let me get dressed first." She grabbed some more clothes out of one of the bags beside the couch and disappeared into the bedroom. She returned a few minutes in her hip boots, a sky blue baby doll dress, and a silver choker and matching chain belt. "Ready."  
  
Riku smirked at her. "Nice outfit." He got up and decided to walk out the front door this time.  
  
She smiled and strapped her sword on her back, snapping her new knife to her side. "I thought you'd like it, darlin'," she purred, following him out the front door, and glaring at some older women, who was staring at her.  
  
Riku left through the front lobby, smiling at nearly everyone on his way out and held the front door open for Makoto. "After you, Mrs. Masterson." He grinned at an old woman that frowned upon hearing what he called the other person in the suite. "We're on our honeymoon."  
  
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Mr. Masterson," she replied, giggling cutely.  
  
Riku faked a very convincing blush and led the way outside. He hopped on his bike, laughing, "Too easy."  
  
Makoto draped her long legs across the bike and then slid up behind Riku. "Isn't it always?" she whispered, amused to no end.  
  
"Sometimes, outrageously so." Riku started the bike and took off, still laughing.  
  
"Ne, Riku, can we stop back at the hotel before we head to the park. I forgot my gifts," Makoto said, mentally kicking herself for her lapse.  
  
"No problem, Mrs. Masterson." Riku replied as he pulled up to the location where he was supposed to meet the contact to get his crossbow.  
  
Makoto snorted. "You like playin' people too much. Sometimes, ya scare me with your changes in attitude."  
  
"Keeps you on your toes, right?" Riku replied. "Where's your friend anyway?"  
  
Makoto looked around, trying to smooth her loose hair out of her eyes. She scanned the lot and pointed out a weasely looking man. "That's him there."  
  
"Can this guy be trusted?" Riku whispered back to her.  
  
"I got some of my best knives off of him. Besides, he has the best variety of... illegal weaponry around. How d'ya think I got some of those stars for Sky?" She hopped of the bike and walked over to the man, smiling. "Marty! Nice ta see ya again!"  
  
Riku nodded at this Marty.  
  
Makoto smiled and then elbowed Riku. "Ask the man about what you want. Duh," she said, rolling her eyes playfully and batting her lashes at Marty, who smiled a twisted smile.  
  
"My crossbow?" Riku replied in turn.  
  
Marty grinned again, and Makoto had to suppress a shudder. "Of course, of course. I brought two different kinds. One is fast action, and the other is slower, but more deadly."  
  
"Can I have a demonstration?" Riku asked, his face set in a firm expression giving nothing away.  
  
Marty took out a smaller crossbow, loaded a bolt, and shot it. The bolt struck a squirrel, which twitched and died. He handed the bow to Riku and took the other out, hitting another squirrel, which nearly exploded.  
  
Riku barely suppressed a shiver. "Next time, hit a tree branch." His voice was ice. He turned the smaller crossbow over in his arms once and fired a shot into a tree. He hated to see animals killed.  
  
"I'll take this one," he said and turned to Marty. "How much?"  
  
"1400," the weasel-man replied, grinning again. Makoto shook her head, signaling he'd made a tiny mistake. "But, for a friend of Yuzuki's... 1350."  
  
Riku pulled out a few bills and handed the man 800. "You take that, and I'll forget about the squirrels." He nodded at Makoto.  
  
Marty tried to say something, but Makoto just looked at him. "Take the 800, Marty, and live to help another day," she said calmly, following Riku, in a foul mood herself.  
  
Riku said nothing and led the way back to his bike. He waited for Makoto to hop on and wrap her arms around his waist. "How important is he really?" he ground out.  
  
Makoto shrugged. "Not very, I suppose. I have a few other arms dealers I do business with." She laid her head against his back. "Sorry about the squirrels, darlin'. They are cute." Riku let out a small sigh, started his bike, and zoomed off to where he knew the shady bum that stiffed him lived. "He lives here." He pointed to a small house.  
  
Makoto nodded. "What're ya gonna do? Spike him with one of those bolts?"  
  
"Nope," Riku replied, and he put on a latex glove and pulled the slightly frozen heart from a compartment on his bike. "Just leaving a little thank you note for the good business." He stuck the heart to his crossbow and squirmed a little at having to touch it. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into some bushes near the house and waited.  
  
She snorted. "For someone who's so anal about his job, he sure does like to torture people who screw him over."  
  
When the bum walked out of his house, Riku fired the bolt and heart, where it struck the porch post, mere centimeters from the man's face.  
  
Almost as predicted, the man grabbed his chest and started to hyperventilate. Riku then left the bushes and walked back to the bike, knowing the attention wasn't on him.  
  
"Have fun?" Makoto asked as he came back. "I need to get that stuff before we head out, and we have about two hours. I still want to check the area out."  
  
"Yes. Let's go." Riku hopped on the bike and took off without another word. Secretly, he hoped the guy was still alive so he could teach him a lesson.  
  
"You want him to live, dontcha?" Makoto asked when they stopped the bike. "Not saying I blame ya, though." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Be right back, Riku."  
  
"Maybe," Riku replied and waited for Makoto to return.  
  
She ran through the hotel's lobby, took the stairs to their room, grabbed the bloody canvas bag out of the icebox's freezer compartment and snatched up her black jean jacket, with her phone, and the list for Sky. She ran back down.  
  
"Where to now?" Riku asked.  
  
"I'm ready to check out that park. South side of the city. The one with the really pretty gazebo," she said, shoving the bag into one of Riku's saddlebags. "I heard the park's pretty too."  
  
"Why, Mako-chan... Are you taking me on a date?" Riku flirted a little, smiling at her.  
  
Makoto grinned. "You sayin' yes, Ri-kun?"  
  
Riku laughed brightly. "Yes," he replied.  
  
At the base:  
  
Skeren, taking in the hour, headed right to Treize's rooms and peeked in, seeing if he'd managed to get up with a ruined alarm.  
  
Treize sat up, and sneezed, wondering if he'd managed to catch a cold somehow. He slipped on a robe and smoothed his hair in the mirror. Glaring, he answered the door when someone knocked. "Yes?"  
  
Skeren beamed at Treize immediately. "It's nine in the morning, sleepy head."  
  
"Well, good morning, Skeren," Treize said, opening the door, and waving her to sit. "What can I do for you so early in the day?"  
  
She moved into the room. "News before the meeting this afternoon!" She walked in immediately, settling herself as though she owned the place.  
  
Treize smiled. "Indeed?"  
  
"Yes. Let's see. A few things actually. That picture will be accompanying Makoto to the meeting, and I found out a few things about who the little people in our big enemy are. Well, dead little people, but who they are still makes me worry." She glanced around. "Would you like to talk over breakfast?"  
  
"Yes, of course," Treize said, totally serious. "I can have it brought here. I'd rather not go into my office. It seems one of the Duke's lackeys is stopping by this morning." He shuddered  
  
"I hope it's not arrogant to say that I'm a better sight to wake up to than that?" Skeren sounded amused and sympathetic to the information.  
  
"Oh, much more pleasant, my dear," Treize said with a smile. He picked up the phone and had Watts bring him breakfast for two to his room. "Considering this is one of the men I'd like to strangle..."  
  
"Care to tell who?" She tilted her head, taking in Treize's figure. "You know, it's much easier to see you having been a pilot dressed like that."  
  
Treize tilted his head, smiling faintly at the compliment. "Thank you. It's Vanderkind. The man's been trying to undermine me for years."  
  
Skeren grinned widely. "Oh, it's my pleasure. That robe really compliments you." She was almost entirely sure that few people ever got to see him so casual as well, even if they caught him out of uniform.  
  
Treize smiled wistfully. "It was a gift from my mother before she died last year." He was saved from saying anymore by a knock on the door. "Come in, Watts." The man walked in with a tray, sat it down, and left. Treize then looked at his guest. "Your friend, Ms. Yuzuki, she's a vegetarian, correct?"  
  
"Vegan. It's worse." Skeren shivered in apparent dislike of her eating habits. "Anyone who can't handle meat will not be cooking for me. I learned that the hard way."  
  
"Vegan? She must have a hard time going out to eat then," Treize responded mildly, a bit amused. "Is she not a good cook?"  
  
"She simply makes food rather... bland." She made a face and shook her head. "It was a bit of a disappointment."  
  
"I see... You are one of those types who like to see their food nearly one step up from alive?"  
  
"You mean to tell me you didn't notice that?" Skeren laughed quietly, sitting back in her chair. "What about you?"  
  
"Everything has a time and a place, Skeren. I've learned that... But, I don't mind a nice medium rare steak every once in a while," he replied with smile, motioning for her to sit at the table with him.  
  
Skeren rose, moving to the table and sitting across from him. "That is true." She got some breakfast of her own together onto a plate, watching Treize for a moment. "I didn't think I was one of the people you'd sit around so casually with."  
  
Treize shook his head. "And why not? You are acceptable company," he said, buttering a piece of warm toast.  
  
Skeren couldn't resist a faint giggle. "Because you aren't exactly dressed for company."  
  
"Ah, but you see, company is what you make of it. I find that I enjoy your company. And, at least you waited for me to have a robe on, Skeren," Treize replied, eating the toast happily.  
  
"I considered not, but I didn't care for the thought of seeing what your sense of humor included." Skeren set into her food, giving Treize an innocent glance. "Though, I'm sure a look would have made it worthwhile."  
  
Treize snorted. "Is that so?"  
  
She tilted her head, taking in his figure fully and what she could see of it. "I'd like to hope so."  
  
"You flatter me too much," Treize retorted, picking up a glass of orange juice. "Now, is there something that I can really do for you?"  
  
"The truth and flattery are two very different things. Turn on the news before the meeting. There was a list of lower rung Romefeller people taken out yesterday. I got word of it this morning, and judging by the two I was told, these people aren't remotely unimportant."  
  
"Really, but it must be something important for them to be killed. Was your lovely friend involved in the killings?" Treize said, seriously. "And I must assume that there's something else. What was that about a picture?"  
  
"I meant they are important, but not to Romefeller. The picture of the little girl with Barton, Makoto is going to be bringing it with her today." Skeren could follow the subject changes.  
  
Treize scowled, covering up his apprehension. "Did you catch any names? And what sort of gifts does Ms. Yuzuki enjoy? Besides of the dangerous sort."  
  
"Layfield and Hart were two of them." Skeren paused with an annoyed scowl. "Good riddance, someone should have dealt with Hart ages ago. Err, sorry about that, personal history. Makoto is a woman's woman, really. She loves jewelry. But if you really want to make her happy, find some sort of silver dragon to add to her collection."  
  
"Layfield and Hart, hmm? I am aware of the sort of thing Hart was into," Treize said, thinking over the information. "A perfect choice. She's interesting, to say the least. I will remember that."  
  
"Advisable, although, I think with my most recent gift, she might just poke at me for more to match her new Ravenfire." Skeren smirked to herself, and then shook her head. "I'm glad you knew. I'd have hated to explain."  
  
"Please, you insult my intelligence. Hart wasn't exactly... candid... about what his preferences were. Something tells me these murders weren't exactly... peaceful, but they were fitting."  
  
Skeren couldn't help a little laugh. "Yes, knowing the people who did it gives me much peace of mind."  
  
Treize smiled in turn. "I'm am very interested in knowing how you, and Ms. Yuzuki, met Hart now."  
  
"He managed to corner one of us and the other came to the rescue. The bastard." She picked up a cherry and ate it, distracting herself from the thought.  
  
"I can imagine who was who, but I may be wrong," Treize replied, pushing his plate of food away from him.  
  
"And I won't correct you if you are. But, I also came to wake you up because I killed your alarm the other evening and wasn't sure if you needed it."  
  
"You wouldn't be offended if I asked Ms. Yuzuki about her meeting with Hart, then? And so that is what happened to my alarm. I had completely forgotten to ask Watts to replace it as well."  
  
"I don't see why not. She'll know I didn't say anything. We like to keep out problems to ourselves usually. Well, the alarm... It seemed like a good idea at the time."  
  
"Of course not. I can recognize wonderful work when I see it," Treize said, sitting back and smoothing his hair again. "What was so important that my alarm clock had to suffer?"  
  
Skeren had the grace to look a bit sheepish. "I honestly don't remember, but I think I was annoyed at Une, and she said she was relaying something you said..."  
  
"Ah, so I have managed to incur your wrath, even without speaking to you," he said with a chuckle. "It's alright." He looked at his watch and groaned. "Time to deal with the parasite."  
  
"I do pity you. I suppose you want me to leave now. Though. don't you?" Skeren had yet to make even a gesture that implied she planned on leaving, the little peeper.  
  
Treize smiled. "As much as I enjoy your company...." He stopped, thinking things over. "Stay here, and I will change in the bathroom. I think Vanderkind would like to meet you as well."  
  
Skeren sank into the seat. "Only because I like you." She said this so she wouldn't pout, but with the implied meaning of that she'd stick around to help him deal with the leech that was there.  
  
Treize smiled. "What? One must face their enemies head on to be aware of the situation." He grabbed a freshly pressed uniform out of his closet and walked into the bathroom, grateful he'd showered the night before.  
  
Skeren just laughed a bit. "That's one way of looking at it!"  
  
Treize reappeared from his bathroom, feeling a more like his usual self. "Are you ready, Ms. Dalren? I know you asked me to call you Skeren, but while the leech is here, I must be formal."  
  
"I cannot blame you for that, Your Excellency." Skeren actually managed to say it with a straight face, but her eyes showed her amusement as she got to her feet.  
  
"Thank you for understanding, My Lady," he replied, offering an arm to her as they left.  
  
Skeren took the arm, willing to play the game for the time being. She was even dressed all in dark red - loose velvet pants and a snug gothic shirt with dark blue panels of satin. "At least I dressed properly for once, hmm?"  
  
"I find your attire entirely suited to your personality, but yes, it is much better than what Zechs assures me you were wearing a few days before," Treize replied, eyes twinkling.  
  
"Just a change of shirts and materials!" Skeren grinned at him, accompanying him down the hallway with one of the airs that she did if someone risked annoying her as she came closer to his office. "Hope he doesn't set off my temper."  
  
"I find it hard to control myself around him, but this will be a short inspection. The Duke is just checking to make sure I'm oblivious to his plans. Don't mind if I seem to be unlike myself," he said, snorting.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm not going to be acting much like myself either. Call it a protective air, and don't stare at me, hmm?" Skeren glanced over to him, putting on a sweet smile before they entered the office. It looked nothing like one of her usual expressions.  
  
Treize fought the twitching in his lips and smiled. "Good morning, Earl Vanderkind. How are you?"  
  
Skeren didn't even say a word, her arm still hooked with Treize's as she studied the noble in front of them. He certainly was an old one.  
  
"Good morning, Treize. Who is your lovely companion," Vanderkind said, smiling widely at the pair.  
  
Treize plastered on a fake smile. "This is Skeren Dalren. Ms. Dalren is our civilian representative, and the daughter of Baron Dalren, whom I'm sure you know."  
  
Skeren, if anything, turned up the vacant innocence of her smile, her voice quiet when she spoke. "Hello. I'm sure my father talked all about me before he got sick."  
  
Vanderkind nodded, his smile taking a sad turn. "He did, Ms. Dalren. How are Treize and his company treating you? It must be boring here."  
  
"Oh, it's alright. They try and keep me company. It really isn't so bad. Why, they even brought me a few of those new books that are all the rage recently." Where this all came from would remain a mystery to Treize as she giggled.  
  
Treize rolled his eyes. "Yes, she and Lady Une seem to be getting along well." Blatant lie, but Vanderkind was a fool.  
  
"Really? I would assume that Une would be jealous of anyone that took time away from you."  
  
Skeren shook her head, batting her eyes at Vanderkind. "No really! She knows I couldn't possibly steal him away." She held her hand over her chest dramatically as she fawned.  
  
Treize chuckled a bit, fakely of course, and just smiled. "Well, Earl, would you like the tour now, or later?" Skeren tightened her hold on Treize's arm a little, determined not to let the other noble out of her sight with the idiot.  
  
"Now would be fine. The Duke sends his regards, and regrets that he can't make the inspection personally," Vanderkind said, his smile growing cold. "I am to inspect the troops as well. That means Une, Marquise and Noin also."  
  
Treize stiffened. "Really, well, let me call them then." He walked to Watts' outer office. "Get on the PA and call the troops outside ASAP."  
  
Watts snapped a salute. "Yes, sir."  
  
Skeren looked over at Vanderkind, acting as though she just remembered something. "But, why would you want to do that? Sure, they're nice and all, but why would you want to go and bother with all the troops?" She made it sound as though she was confused as to the reasoning.  
  
"Standard procedure, Ms. Dalren." Treize nodded mutely, his eyes telling her it was a lie, and that there was another game afoot.  
  
Skeren took in the look and brought her hand to cover her mouth as though in shock. "But that would take forever! Surely you could just ask a couple people and leave it at that! Why, that would be positively horrid to do every month, wouldn't it?" How she was holding on to Treize was almost amusing, if you really considered it, and she leaned into him.  
  
Vanderkind smiled. "Semi-annual inspection. The troops must be seen and accounted for. Only Treize, or his second in command, bothers with the monthly checks."  
  
Treize's lips were almost pursed, and his jaw was locked for a moment. "Well, then, I'm sure the others are outside, as well as my other guests."  
  
"Guests?"  
  
"Ms. Peacecraft-Darlian and my cousin."  
  
"Well, that's good. But still, surely you are too important to waste on these things!" Skeren wrinkled up her nose as she dropped her hand to her side. "Why, if Sir Khushrenada handles everything, then surely you don't need to do it too?" Her tone was questioning and she wanted to strangle the intruder for putting her two charges at risk.  
  
Treize placed a hand on the small of her back. "It's quite alright, Ms. Dalren. It is procedure after all." He leaned over. "I'd like to kill him as well. Relax," he whispered, standing up straight to smile. "Let's go."  
  
Skeren relaxed minutely under his hand, though there was no outward change in her sweet, mildly spacey act. "Well, I guess I get to see what this is all about then, don't I?"  
  
Treize could have kissed the girl. She was doing a terrific job, but he wanted to throttle the man still sitting. "Well, Earl, shall we?"  
  
"Of course," he said, standing and leaving.  
  
"Do you think that if I gave the signal, my gate guards would shoot his head off?" Treize whispered with a semi-light tone.  
  
"That sounds just marvelous!" She fairly chirped it, her smile getting a mite more genuine.  
  
Treize snorted, making it look like he was flirting with her. "Yes, but if he dies, Dermail get suspicious. So, no matter how tempting, I can't."  
  
Skeren gave a mock pout up at him, for all intents and purposes looking like she was flirting back. "How distressing."  
  
Treize chuckled. "Yes, it is, isn't it?" He looked up to find his soldiers in perfect form, sending a sense of pride to his foul mood. "There they are, Earl."  
  
The man stopped in front of Colonel Une. "Excuse me, Une, but where is your uniform?"  
  
Skeren spoke up then, fluttering at the Earl. "Oh, that is entirely my fault! I spilled some juice into her closet when we had breakfast the other day!" She sighed a little, looking guilty, but hopeful. "She won't get into trouble though will she, sir?"  
  
The man eyed the girl for a moment, not liking her at all. "No, she won't. Une, I'd like to see you in something more... formal, next time."  
  
"Thank you, sir! I'm afraid I'm a terrible klutz, and she shouldn't pay for my errors." Skeren beamed at him, cheeks flushed cutely as she scooted back near Treize.  
  
Treize silently commended her on her acting skills. If he hadn't known better, he'd think she really was the twit she was portraying herself to be.  
  
The Earl stopped before Noin. He looked her over especially hard, trying to find something wrong with her.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Earl Vanderkind?" Treize asked, fairly amused at the slight glare that Noin was giving the old man.  
  
"No, nothing."  
  
Skeren tilted her head, checking to be sure that yes, Zechs' had managed to get fitting clothes, and let out an inward breath of relief that they appeared to fit properly.  
  
Zechs caught the look, and waved one hand behind his back to the girl. Besides his initial meeting, and following hardships, the stories that Relena had told him about her had made him like her.  
  
She smiled back, flicking her eyes to the Earl, and then rolling them before plastering on her fake smile again. She hoped they wouldn't be late to the meeting in less than an hour.  
  
The earl continued his inspection, slowly walking back to Treize and the girl. "Everything seems fine here."  
  
Skeren giggled, waving a hand at the man. "Boring, just like I thought it would be!" She was glad to see her charges had remained in their rooms.  
  
Treize checked his watch. It was eleven-thirty. Inwardly, he groaned. He wanted the slime ball gone. "Anything else you would like to see, Earl?"  
  
"Yes, the suit hangar."  
  
"Zechs?" Treize said, snapping the blond's attention to him. "Could you show the earl the suits?" He leaned over to his second-in-command. "If one happens to fall on him, I'll give you a week's vacation," he whispered loud enough so Skeren could hear him.  
  
Skeren giggled again, batting her eyes at Zechs. "Oh, don't mind me, go on ahead. We'll talk later." She knew the Earl was listening more to her than to Treize, and watched as Zechs walked off.  
  
Treize sighed as the older man followed his second and signaled to the troops that they were free to carry on. He then waved Une and Noin over. "No mention of Ms. Po on base, and I'm sorry."  
  
Skeren let the expression drop and scowled off after the brute that had known her father. "Routine my ass. Une, just so you know, he thinks you and I are good friends."  
  
"And we aren't?" Une said, hiding her sarcastic tone rather well.  
  
"Look, I made up for my error, and you can't say you didn't enjoy me looking like a fluttery twit." Skeren raised an eyebrow at Une in obvious question.  
  
"Eh." Une shrugged, but satisfaction slid across her face. "I saw no reason to say anything."  
  
Skeren just laughed a little. "It's alright. I quite understand. Just don't go holding a grudge."  
  
Treize raised one hand and put the other against his temple. "Stop it. Une, go get changed. Noin, inform Ms. Po that she will be joining us for the meeting. Also, I'd like to see you a bit less... preoccupied in your duties."  
  
"Yes sir. Although, I'm afraid Ms. Po won't be joining us. She's away on business," Noin replied.  
  
"No more..." Une lowered her voice and leaned forward a little so Skeren could hear her clearly. "Feminine items."  
Skeren smiled. "Not in those quantities." She then looked to Treize. "Would you like an aspirin?"  
  
Une sighed. "Send them to Ms. Peacecraft. She actually likes the stuff. If you'll excuse me, I must change."  
  
"Fine, whatever," Treize said. He looked at Skeren. "I'd like a gun, and a moment without having to be nice that asinine fool."  
  
Skeren nodded, watching as Noin left. "I doubt that we can do that just yet, but I promise you dibs if we get to kill him."  
  
Treize looked at Skeren. "If I get to kill anyone, it will be my cousin's grandfather. I'll let Ms. Yuzuki in on a few secrets about that pig and she may have him."  
  
Skeren laughed, noting that it was just the two of them. "One of these days, I might let you in on my hobby if I was sure it wouldn't bother you."  
  
Treize smiled weakly. "It wouldn't surprise me a bit... At least, I don't think it would."  
  
Skeren just shook her head. "Not today." She pulled a bottle of aspirin from her pocket and dumped one out, offering it to him. "You couldn't deal today, and there is enough going on already."  
  
"No, I'll need more than that, Skeren. Four, if you'd please," he said, closing his eyes against the sun.  
  
She chuckled softly, pouring out one more. "These are especially for me. A very potent prescription that I get from a friend of mine. Two should do you."  
  
"As long as it will make this headache go away, I don't care what they are," he said, smiling and swallowing them dry.  
  
Skeren laughed a bit and tucked the bottle away. "I can't blame you there."  
  
Treize looked at his watch again. "Well, it's noon already. That old man and his inspection.... There's something off about this all. This isn't a 'Let's make sure we still have Treize' trip."  
  
"I know. The timing is... off. You know you aren't going to leave my sight until that thing leaves, right?" Skeren glared off towards the direction the man last went.  
  
"As if I would dare," Treize said, looking up to see Une approach. "You look better, My Lady."  
  
Skeren changed the direction of her look and saw Une, waving with her free hand.  
  
The park:  
  
Makoto nearly jumped off the bike as soon as it stopped. "C'mon, Ri- kun. I know those Gundam pilots are around her somewhere. The Asian seemed more paranoid than you."  
  
"That's not physically possible," Riku replied, remaining on the bike. "That tree would be good for sniping." He pointed to a tall oak.  
  
Makoto looked at the tree and sighed. "You're not comin' are you?" She slipped on her jacket, more to cover her sword up than the fact she was cold. "At least help me check this place out first."  
  
Riku obliged and hopped off the bike. "I'll be around and in hearing range at all times, but you know me..." He shrugged and trailed off.  
  
Makoto nodded. "Yes, I do." She snatched his hand. "I overheard these girls, and they said there's a duck pond around here somewhere."  
  
"Huh?" Riku replied. "Duck pond?"  
  
Makoto smiled. The damn man had a soft spot for animals. "Yes, a duck pond, and it's got fish and all sorts of other things. Interested now?"  
  
"Yeah..." Riku smiled a little. "Lead the way, Mrs. Masterson."  
  
"But of course, Mr. Masterson," she replied, leaning on his shoulder as they walked. Riku just laughed.  
  
Makoto watched as Riku's face seemed to all but relax as he watched the animals. The only other times he seemed so open was during a kill or sex. He was a strange one, that was for sure, but it wasn't like she had much room to talk.  
  
Riku was quiet for the longest time, just watching the ducks and the fish. "Time?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the small peace that had been established.  
  
Makoto looked at her wristwatch, which matched her other jewelry perfectly, and sighed. "We still have another hour. You wanna stay here, or move on?" Makoto asked, her voice low as well.  
  
"Stay," Riku replied, his voice barely even a whisper.  
  
Makoto leaned against him again. "This is nice, ne?"  
  
"Yes. Nice." Riku put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
Makoto pulled out her phone, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and the quiet of the area. She checked her text messages and scowled, throwing the thing back in her pocket. "Someday, I wanna get a house and quit."  
  
"Someday..." Riku said sadly, looking away from Makoto at the moment.  
  
"I'll get you a dog," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "That ass left a message... or his friends did."  
  
"What did he say?" Riku asked.  
  
Makoto sighed. "He's in the hospital. You gave him the heart attack you wanted to, but now they want to talk to us. You should have just killed him. It would have been easier."  
  
Riku smiled a little and shrugged. "How many?"  
  
"Four of them. Talk my ass..." She snorted, watching the ducks as they swam and chatted to one another. She looked at her watch. "Thirty minutes. The gazebo's in the middle of the park, but there are trees."  
  
"Let's go check it out. I wouldn't like standing there with so many trees around, unless I was in one." Riku got up and dusted himself off and extended a hand to Makoto. "Four is nothing."  
  
Makoto smiled, took the hand, and dusted the bottom of her dress off. "I never said they were anything. It's just annoying." She took his hand again and walked towards the center of the park. "I wanna kill again. Soon."  
  
"I'm sure you'll get your chance soon." Riku put one of his hands in his hair and fluffed it a bit as they walked. "This place is awfully secluded."  
  
She smiled at the small sign of vanity in her partner. "Yes, that may have been why the pilots chose it. Not that I would blame them. Perfect spot to have a sniper in one of the trees," she said pointedly.  
  
"Yes, one of their own," he said rather coolly. "Next time, I choose where we meet."  
  
Makoto just sat down on one of the benches inside the building once they had arrived. "Whatever ya say, darlin'," she mumbled, her weariness catching up in her accent.  
  
"How long is this meeting supposed to take anyway?" Riku asked idly and stood in front of Makoto, silently watching her back.  
  
She gave a small, tired smile at Riku in thanks. "I'm not sure... Maybe a few hours. Depends on what's being said, and how long it takes to keep the peace. I think I'll stay away from China boy... I'm tired today."  
  
"You should've slept last night..." Riku scolded playfully.  
  
Makoto glared at him. "I would have, had Starry not called at 9am, like a jerk. But, she gave me some lovely info about Dermail and Barton."  
  
"Oh? Willing to share that information with me?" Riku smirked at her.  
  
"Dermail and Barton are in Toronto... with the kid. I can't get there to take either of them out, but Starry got a picture of the little girl. I'm gonna give it to Khushrenada. Sorry, forgot by the time you were able ta talk."  
  
"You really sure about this Khushrenada thing?" Riku didn't look convinced.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be, Riku?" She looked up, her brown eyes curious. "Are you worried about something?"  
  
Riku just cast his eyes around the park somewhat sadly, before shaking his head. He wasn't sure yet. "No," he answered.  
  
She watched him, and stood up so she was standing directly in front of him. She turned his head to look at her. "What's wrong?" she asked with a sweet kiss.  
  
He gave a small kiss in return and just looked at her eyes, still seeming a bit sad, before it was replaced with his melancholy self. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
She frowned, moving away to look at her watch. "Ten minutes. You gonna go hide in your tree with your new toy now?"  
  
"I'll stick around on the ground for a moment," Riku replied, making sure his weapons were easily accessible. "But if this takes too long or I get suspicious, I'm out of here."  
  
"I know. I'll catch a ride with Sky if that happens." She didn't bother to look at him, knowing he was keeping something from her. Riku just stood around and waited. Makoto watched, and saw the Gundam pilots approach, en masse, up one side of the hill. "The pilots are here," she said quietly, taking off her jacket and wrapping it around her waist for easier movement.  
  
**To be continued.**


End file.
